'Door's still open for Norwich City Council to support Western Link', says County Council
This comes after Norwich City Council rejected the project, saying it would damage the local environment
The door's still open for Norwich City Council to support the controversial Norwich Western Link.
That's according to Martin Wilby who's in charge of Highways, Transport and Infrastructure at Norfolk County Council.
It comes after Norwich City Council rejected the project, saying it would damage the local environment.
Mr Wilby told us he hopes the City Council will change their mind, but admits the link will never please everyone: "The door is still open for them to come in and support it at a later date, especially once we've put in our planning application and work with them on the transport for Norwich strategy. I'm sure those will address most of their concerns.
"I can't say that everyone will get onboard and support it, I accept that there will always be those that are going to be against it.
"But they have got to look at the bigger picture. This is what is needed here in Norfolk, its a key piece of infrastructure for us, the benefits are huge, its value for money, it will improve the quality of the life for people along with the growth that's going to come".
He also dismisses claims the project will damage local air quality and habitats, going on to say the link will benefit the area and is backed by most: "We take our environmental responsibilities very seriously and we're putting in the appropriate mitigation required when we build the road.
"The road offers very good value for money, so it's a big benefit for Norwich and Norfolk.
"There's strong, very strong support for the project. Especially from the public, the business community, emergency services, local councils and MPs. As well as reducing journey time and congestion, the western link will also improve road safety as well."
Proposals for the road have proved controversial with many environmental campaign groups concerned about the impact it'll have locally.