Coltishall’s village protest on the ‘dangerous’ traffic levels

The villagers claim that 97,000 vehicles use the B1150 through Coltishall every week, with trucks using the route as a shortcut

Andrew Turner/BBC villagers in Coltishall in a demonstration. Two men hold banners, with others in the backdrop. The posters read: "This path is not safe"; Another Lee: "Too much traffic"; And another says: "Infrastructure first". — The villagers claim that 97,000 vehicles use the B1150 through Coltishall every week, with trucks using the route as a shortcut

Norfolk villagers have made a demonstration to highlight the dangers on a main road, which they have worsened by development and a new bypass of the city.

The special interest group B1150 in Coltishall and Horstead states that 97,000 vehicles use the road between Norwich and North Walsham every week.

The protesters told the BBC that the traffic levels had increased with the opening of the Broadland Broadland B1270 and the houses built in Badersfield, near the old RAF Coltishall.

Bill Muson, one of the protest organizers, said: “As one of the banners says, it is ‘First Infrastructure’. Let’s not put the car before the horse.” Norfolk County Council said it was looking for ways to relieve traffic flow in the area.

Activist Bill Musson said the road would be blocked if more development was allowed in northern Norfolk

Andrew Turner/BBC Bill Musson is standing near a group of protesters, with posters, reading: "Too much traffic = danger"; and: "This path is not safe"With others in the distance. Mr. Musson wears a blue, white and red square shirt, a black jacket with inner red lining and a high -visibility yellow vest. It has a gray mustache, wears black glasses with edge and wears a flat tweed cap. — Activist Bill Musson said the road would be blocked if more development was allowed in northern Norfolk

Musson said the police suggested that the group demonstrated by Coltishall War Memorial, because the curves by the village were too dangerous to form a picket.

“It’s not safe, and no, irony has not wasted to me,” he said.

Muson said traffic would worsen with more homes and the expansion of a planned business park.

“That is possibly the point where we will really break because we will be blocked,” he said.

“It’s not just Coltishall but Horstead, Bylaugh, Hoveton and Wroxham, everyone could benefit from a way of help.”

Some residents believe that trucks should be prohibited from using the road.

Andrew Turner/BBC A white scanning truck that drives through Coltishall in the B1150. In the backdrop to the right there is a house, and the left, in the back of the truck, there is a crossing to the great hautbois (which hobbis is pronounced). — Some residents believe that trucks should be prohibited from using the road.

The butcher Tom Grant said that the village’s businesses would be damaged if a new path was built around him

Andrew Turner/BBC Tom Grant is in its carnage store. It wears a pink and blue square shirt with a green fleece and a blue and white apron. It has slightly long hair that is combed. It is stopped before its refrigerated screens full of meat, with other ingredients in the countertops. On the walls there is a price list, an image that shows the cuts of pork on a pig and a blue light flies. — The butcher Tom Grant said that the village’s businesses would be damaged if a new path was built around him

However, butcher Tom Grant said he thought that a bypass would damage local stores and businesses, and instead believed that a truck restriction would be the best solution.

“It cannot be denied that Coltishall has a traffic problem. The roads are not suitable for today’s traffic,” he said.

“From the Northern Distributor (B1270 Highway) Inaugurated we have seen an increase in traffic, since it has made this part of Norfolk more accessible to people who live further.

“The HGV volume has increased with that, as expected, and when the new houses are built in northern Walsham, which we need, traffic will increase again.”

Listen: Coltishall’s protesters go to the streets

A spokesman for the Norfolk County Council said: “The B1150 is an occupied section of the road network and our teams are working with the campaign group in Coltishall, as well as local councilors, to analyze ideas and schemes that can help To relieve traffic flow.

“Any housing growth problem and local plans remains the responsibility of the district authority.”

The North Norfolk district council said that his draft of the local plan and a housing proposal for northern Walsham would be discussed in April.

An aggregate statement: “With respect to the existing traffic pressures in Coltishall and any traffic management, road improvement or new road proposals, these would be so that the Department of Roads of the Norfolk County Council Comment main responsible for traffic management and road safety.