Extinction Rebellion protesters block Norwich road over western link plan

Extinction Rebellion blocked a major route ahead of a council meeting about changes to a proposed link road.

Protesters held up commuter traffic on the roundabout outside County Hall in Norwich, and blocked off the car park.

On Monday, the cabinet heard the route of the western link of the Northern Distributor Road (NDR) could be revised due to a colony of endangered bats.

James Harvey, of Extinction Rebellion, said moving the route "isn't going to make any difference".

Environmental campaigners have strongly opposed the 3.9-mile (6.2km) route linking the NDR to the A47, west of Norwich, claiming it will destroy rare habitats in the Wensum Valley and increase emissions.

Opposition leaders have also raised concerns that the Conservative-led council is risking the authority's finances by investing in infrastructure which could yet be rejected by the government.

The meeting will hear the route could be altered to avoid a colony of barbastelle bats roosting in woodland, which were discovered during a survey.

"We don't like being out here blocking the road but unfortunately it seems to be the only thing that gets a reaction from councillors," added Mr Harvey.

"Re-routing the road by a few hundred metres will do nothing to help the endangered barbastelle bat colony; the interconnectedness of the landscape means they have a large range of feeding and breeding habitats."

The cabinet noted the report, with a further update on assessments of the route alignment expected in June.

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