Object

Representation ID: 11

Received: 13/06/2024

Respondent: 24

Flitting across Ringland Jules notices all the links between his wing flaps and the woodland. When he's locked in like this it would be overwhelming to most but Jules has mint senses and loves getting battered by the sound and smells of a place him and others have known for yonks.

Jules snaffles up some buzzing protein snacks and passes on untroubled by nowt coz the young ones on two legs decided not to muck things up.

In all seriousness though the western link road seems to reek of a lack of imagination. I reckon we can do better... What follows is a pretty well made argument chanted by many humans round here about why we should engage our collective creativity and not make another road...

Cost
Central Government has only promised £213m so Norfolk Taxpayers are on the hook for at least £60m while the county's essential services are being cut to plug a budget deficit of £60m.

Traffic
It won't solve traffic problems in the long term. Norfolk County Council predict that traffic on Sandy Lane (Taverham), West End (Costessey) and Longwater Lane will increase compared with 2019.
Nor will it reduce ambulance response times - hospital handover waits are the problem.

Carbon Emissions
Building new roads increases CO2 emissions. Huge amounts of carbon are used in construction and more roads = more traffic. We can't build new roads in a climate emergency.

Ecology
The Wensum Valley is a rich patchwork of habitats including ancient woodland and a rare chalk stream. It is home to more than 60 protected species. There is no way to build a new road across the Valley without destroying it's unique ecology.