The residents of Thorpe Marriot are up in arms over a proposed 1,500-home development that they fear will bring nothing but traffic chaos to their doorstep. The construction of this massive housing estate, located next to Thorpe Marriott village on the outskirts of Norwich, has yet to commence, but the locals are already worried about the congestion it will cause. The roads in the area, between Fir Covert Road and Reepham Road, where the homes are earmarked, are already deemed 'not fit for purpose'. Some residents have called for the reinstatement of the Western Link, which would connect the NDR to the A47, to help ease the traffic jams they fear will worsen with construction. The development has already met with objections, with over 20 neighbors writing to the Broadland District Council to voice their concerns. Bernard Garner, who lives on Broom Close, directly overlooking the fields where the homes are earmarked, says, 'It's chaos.' He adds, 'We lived here for 23 years. It's a really beautiful farm area but the plans are chaotic. The road networks here are not changing and yet they are doubling the size of Thorpe Marriott.' Martin Clarke, 64, echoes these sentiments, saying, 'It's outrageous. You should try going to work in the morning here. It's chaos.' He further emphasizes, 'But with 1,500 more homes, that's 3,000 more cars, that will only make it worse.' The proposed development of the Western Link was supposed to ease congestion in the area once the Marriott's Park development was completed. However, the proposals for the 3.9-mile road were dropped by Norfolk County Council in December. Despite this, a spokesman for Broadland District Council said at the time that scrapping the scheme would not 'affect the housing development'. The housing developer, Barratt David Wilson Homes, has already received outline planning permission for the development off Reepham Road to build 279 homes, 81 of which will be affordable. Since the first phase details were lodged, more than 40 people have written to the council in objection. Stuart Clancy, Conservative Broadland District Councillor for Taverham South, says he has long opposed the plans. He states, 'They should not go ahead in their current state. A traffic impact survey was done in 2021 when we were in the middle of a pandemic. It can't be accurate anymore.' He further adds, 'Construction vehicles will also be going through Fir Covert Road and other roads in Thorpe Marriott, which are completely inadequate.' The residents of Thorpe Marriot are left with no choice but to wait and see if their concerns will be heard and addressed before the development begins.
