A11 improvements could bring £600 million economic boost for Norfolk and East of England
Released 21 January 2008 | Released by Lynette Penney
Upgrading the A11 to make Norfolk more accessible could bring significant economic benefits worth more than £600 million according to a study published today.
The study was jointly commissioned by the East of England Development Agency (EEDA), Norfolk County Council (NCC) and the Government Office for the East of England (GO-East) to evaluate the wider economic impacts of dualling the A11 between the Fiveways Junction and Thetford.
The study, undertaken by Atkins Transport Planning, shows that the scheme could generate an estimated £135 million of wider economic benefits, including significant productivity benefits to firms in Norwich and Thetford:
- £558 million resulting from time savings for road users
- £98 million from reduced accidents.
The cost of the scheme is currently estimated at £101 million.
EEDA senior transport project manager, Andy Summers said:
"Backed up by hard evidence EEDA can, with its partners, support proposals to government that will tackle traffic congestion, get the region moving and help businesses succeed in a competitive global marketplace. The recent Eddington report on transport showed that strategic and prioritised investment in the transport infrastructure, particularly at key pinch-points, can help businesses be more competitive and increase productivity. Investment in the transport network is key to the economic success of the region and the country.
"This single-carriageway section of the otherwise dualled A11 is considered to be a bottleneck on the strategic network, and this study has demonstrated that over £600 million worth of economic benefits would be generated from developing the A11 Fiveways to Thetford scheme.
EEDA will continue to gather economic evidence for transport-related interventions in the East of England, for the benefit of all those who live, work and invest in the region."
Adrian Gunson, cabinet member for planning and transportation at Norfolk County Council, said:
"This study reinforces what many business people and councillors, including myself, have been saying for some 30 years, that there will be vast economic benefits to Norfolk in dualling the A11. Indeed the last stretch between the Fiveways junction and Thetford will bring benefits some six times the cost of dualling the road.
"Clearly we shall be using this study to press for the urgent dualling of this stretch of road to create economic growth and prevent some of the human suffering caused through deaths and injuries on this remaining stretch of single carriageway."
Atkins' Project Manager, Jonathan Foster-Clark said:
"The completion of the dual carriageway will help business in Thetford, Norwich and Great Yarmouth by increasing access to other businesses elsewhere in the region and beyond. It will also play an important part in helping to reduce the peripherality of Norfolk and increase economic vitality in the county. Importantly, it will help to ensure that Thetford and Norwich are prepared for the growth that is planned in the next two decades.
"The draft guidance on wider economic benefits is an important tool to improve our understanding of how transport affects the economies of towns, cities and regions. It shows how to better take into account the impacts of transport projects on labour markets and business supply chains, and in many cases the benefits of projects can be increased by some 20-30%. As difficult decisions have to be made about prioritising transport budgets, more importance will need to be given to solid evidence of the benefits of schemes. This approach helps to do this, and the study for the A11 has shown that this scheme will deliver these benefits.
Richard Howitt, Member of the European Parliament for the East of England said:
"We all hear that Norwich is the furthest city from a motorway of any in the UK and the truth is that this has a real impact on local jobs and business success, this study shows clearly that we stand to gain hugely from a better A11.
"Having been a strong backer for EastPort Yarmouth and the extra trade that this can generate for Norfolk and Suffolk, the A11 is also a crucial part of helping to make sure that the benefits of this are maximised."
