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Village protest over 'dangerous' levels of traffic

Andrew Turner
BBC News
Reporting fromColtishall
Andrew Turner/BBC Villagers in Coltishall on a demonstration. Two men hold placards, with others in the backdrop. The placards read: "This road is not safe"; another reads: "Too much traffic"; and another says: "Infrastructure first". Andrew Turner/BBC
Villagers claim 97,000 vehicles use the B1150 through Coltishall every week, with lorries using the route as a short cut

Norfolk villagers have held a demonstration to highlight dangers on a main road, which they claim has been worsened by development and a new city bypass.

The B1150 Special Interest Group in Coltishall and Horstead claims 97,000 vehicles use the road between Norwich and North Walsham every week.

Protestors told the BBC that traffic levels had increased with the opening of the B1270 Broadland Northway and houses built at Badersfield, near the former RAF Coltishall.

Bill Musson, one of the protest organisers, said: "As one of the placards says, it's 'infrastructure first'. Let's not put the cart before the horse." Norfolk County Council said it was looking at ways to ease traffic flow in the area.

Andrew Turner/BBC Bill Musson is standing near a group of protestors, with placards, reading: "Too much traffic = danger"; and: "This road is not safe", with others in the distance. Mr Musson is wearing a blue, white and red checked shirt, a black jacket with red inside lining and a high visibility yellow vest. He has a grey moustache, wears black rimmed glasses and is wearing a tweed flat cap.Andrew Turner/BBC
Campaigner Bill Musson said the road would become gridlocked if more development was allowed in north Norfolk

Mr Musson said police suggested the group demonstrated by Coltishall war memorial, because the bends through the village were too dangerous for a picket to form.

"It's not safe, and no, the irony's not wasted on me," he said.

Mr Musson said traffic would get worse with more housing and the expansion of an enterprise park planned.

"That's possibly the point where it will actually break down because we will be gridlocked," he said.

"It's not just Coltishall but Horstead, Bylaugh, Hoveton and Wroxham - they could all benefit from one relief road."

Andrew Turner/BBC A white Scania lorry driving through Coltishall on the B1150. In the backdrop to the right is a house, and to the left, at the rear of the lorry, is a junction to Great Hautbois (which is pronounced Hobbis).Andrew Turner/BBC
Some residents believe lorries should be banned from using the road
Andrew Turner/BBC Tom Grant stands in his butchery shop. He is wearing a pink and blue checked shirt with a green fleece and a blue and white apron. He has slightly long hair which is combed up. He is standing before his refrigerated displays packed with meat, with other ingredients on the counter tops. On the walls is a price list, a picture showing the cuts of pork on a pig and a blue-light fly trap.Andrew Turner/BBC
Butcher Tom Grant said the village's businesses would be harmed if a new road was built around it

However, butcher Tom Grant said he thought a bypass would harm local shops and businesses, and instead believed a restriction on lorries would be the best solution.

"There's no denying that Coltishall has got a traffic problem. The roads aren't fit for today's traffic," he said.

"Since the Northern Distributor [B1270 road] opened we have seen an increase in traffic, as it's made this part of Norfolk more accessible for people who live further away.

"The volume of HGVs has increased with that, as you'd expect it to, and when the new houses are built in North Walsham - which we need - the traffic will increase again."

Listen: Coltishall protestors take to the streets

A spokesperson for Norfolk County Council said: "The B1150 is a busy section of the highway network and our teams are working with the campaign group in Coltishall, as well as local councillors, to look at ideas and schemes that may help ease traffic flow in the area.

"Any issues of housing growth and local plans remains the responsibility of the district authority."

North Norfolk District Council said its draft local plan and a housing proposal for North Walsham would be discussed in April.

A statement added: "With regards to existing traffic pressures in Coltishall and any traffic management, road improvement or new road proposals, these would be for Norfolk County Council's highways department to comment on - as the lead authority responsible for traffic management and highway safety."

Andrew Turner/BBC A yellow bus, branded the X55, and a yellow and red skip lorry face each other on the B1150 in Coltishall. There are parked cars on either side of the road, and a pavement build-out into the road to make for a pedestrian crossing point.Andrew Turner/BBC
Due to parked cars, when large vehicles meet in the village it often causes tailbacks

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