When I was first elected in 2010, Norfolk was the only UK county not connected to the motorway and dual carriageway network. Not only had this held back businesses and families for too long, it had also proved dangerous for thousands of commuters travelling down unsafe single-carriage roads.
That’s why I vowed to get this sorted and, having worked closely with other Norfolk MPs, local councillors, the A47 Alliance, Norfolk Chamber of Commerce, businesses and community groups over the last thirteen years, I am delighted that we have dualled the A11 and secured £300 million of funding for the North Tuddenham-Easton stretch of the A47 (with early works having now begun, and full works finally due to commence in the coming months – see more here).
The A47 is a major transport artery into, and across, our great county. It has a crucial role to play if we are to unlock our region’s economic potential – delivering thousands of jobs, as well as the growth and prosperity needed, to help us ‘Build Back Better’ and ‘Level Up’. With the A47 dualled between Dereham and Norwich, and the A11 already fully dualled, we will have a chance to make Norfolk a hub of innovation with quick links to the Norwich Research Park and other local science and innovation growth hubs. We will also make our roads much safer for commuters.
I do however remain committed to working with fellow parliamentary colleagues, the A47 Alliance and key stakeholders to make the case for full dualling of the A47 (all the way from Lowestoft in the East to the A1 in Cambridgeshire in the West). Only with full dualling of the entire A47 will we be able to unlock Norfolk (and the East)’s full economic potential.
Nevertheless, in the meantime, there are still urgent priority improvements that need to be made to support local communities and improve safety on routes across our area – at blackspot locations like the Necton/Dunham Junction, the Draytonhall Lane Junction at Scarning on the A47, as well as at locations on other routes like the A1067 at Guist. I am determined to do all I can to hold the likes of National Highways to account and ensure they deliver improvements to these sites.
Making sure our area has proper 21stC transport infrastructure is vital to us all. Rest assured, I will continue fighting for investment and upgrades to make sure we have the safe, modern transport links we need.
For updates on my work on this project, please do regularly check this page.
Transport East is a partnership providing a single voice for councils, business leaders, political leaders and partners on our region’s transport strategy and strategic transport investment priorities – working in close collaboration with government and the rest of the UK.
I was disappointed to miss National Highway’s latest A47 Parliamentary Forum on Friday due to having been struck down by Covid – which I had hoped to join in person in order to help keep the pressure on National Highways and ensure they get on and deliver the long overdue dualling of the North Tuddenham-Easton stretch.
Full dualling of the A47 is vital for the long term safety of motorists and absolutely necessary if we are to help Norfolk unlock its full economic potential – delivering thousands of jobs, as well as the growth and prosperity needed, to help us ‘Build Back Better’ and ‘Level Up’.
Our roads are vital in enabling businesses to transport products and services, providing access to jobs and suppliers, and facilitating trade and investment across the country as well as providing essential links for leisure and connecting people and places.
I was delighted to attend Baroness Vere’s RIS3 briefing for MPs today – at which the Government set out how it will determine its strategic vision and priorities for the country’s road network over the period 2025-2030, and outlining what objectives their multi-year investment plan will achieve.
For decades, successive governments have underfunded our transport network here in the East – which is why one of my central missions as an MP has been the improvement of our transport infrastructure in this region, and why I so greatly welcome the Prime Minister and Government’s commitment to “levelling-up” the places that have for too long been “left-behind”.