Moving gas pipes for road due to cost extra £24.5m

Two gas mains are due to be moved at a cost of £24.5m as a new road is built in Norfolk.

The two-mile (3.5km) West Winch Access Road aims to cut congestion by creating a new link between the A47 and the A10 south of King's Lynn before 4,000 homes are built.

However, moving gas pipes underground is said to have added millions to the cost of the £109m project, threatening the viability of the scheme.

Graham Plant, Norfolk County Council's cabinet member for highways, said: "It was vital to get this issue resolved as quickly as possible to avoid potentially lengthy and costly delays."

Plans show the access road would have five roundabouts providing links to the A47 in the north, the A10 in the south and three others to accommodate connections to future housing developments.

However, work on the project has been stalled due to the pipes.

Previously, National Gas said complex engineering and technical challenges had emerged leading to an increase in estimated costs.

While it estimated the cost of the work has doubled, officials were due to agree on covering the £24.5m with funding from Homes England, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Norfolk County Council said it was trying to find ways to reduce costs.

Plant said: "We will continue to work with them [National Gas Transmission] to reduce the final costs, but we have enough certainty now to finalise an agreement with our partner Homes England for them to provide additional funding to cover the majority of this cost increase.

"Now that we've got this outcome, and with planning approval secured late last year, we're in a good position to move this important infrastructure project for west Norfolk forward."

The cabinet will meet on Monday, 2 March to discuss approving the realignment of the pipes.

Once agreed, work could begin in the spring and could be finished by the beginning of 2027, ahead of the new road being built.

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