11 June 2021
An “egregious waste of taxpayers’ money”
The former Green Party leader, Natalie Bennett, today denounced the proposed Western Link road as “an egregious waste of taxpayers’ money and a dangerous example of environmental vandalism”.
Earlier this week, Norfolk County Councillors voted to approve the business case for a £198m extension to Norwich’s bypass, despite concerns about its environmental impact. [1]
The Norwich Western Link road would connect the Broadland Northway (also known as the NDR) with the A47, cutting across the Wensum valley.
On a visit to Norwich, Green Party Peer, Baroness Bennett, went to see the woodlands to the west of the city, which are under threat if the Western Link Road is constructed.
Baroness Bennett explained:
“The State of Nature report, ranking the UK 187th in the world for its environmental outcomes, shows how Britain has been at the head of the failures. Much of the UK is a green desert of industrial monocultures. The need to protect our ancient woodlands and improve biodiversity has never been so urgent, which is why fellow Green peer Jenny Jones and I are working hard on the Environment Bill, with many amendments now being tabled in the House of Lords.”
“The eye-watering costs associated with this project – some £50 million per mile of road [2] – not to mention the damage done to nature, mean that this project should be abandoned, and the funds redirected into projects that will benefit our planet and which future generations will be proud of.”
Martin Schmierer, City Councillor for Mancroft Ward in Norwich, added:
“The poor value of public transport and the lack of frequency of many bus services comes up time and time again on the doorstep. This is where councils and governments should be investing their money.
“There is no fairness in a system where residents of London pay about half the price for their bus tickets compared to Norwich, but instead council taxpayers in Norwich get lumbered with a bill for a road that no-one seems to want and will almost certainly not deliver the economic benefits promised.”
— ENDS —
Notes:
[1] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-57383873
[2] https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/cost-of-ndr-western-link-up-by-45m-8008792
