Thank you for your letter and for taking the time to collect the views of residents in the area. Our approach toward setting speed limits is detailed within our speed management policy. This is best viewed from our website at the following address https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/roads-and-transport/roads/road-safety/speed The sections you have described are correctly restricted in line with the environmental descriptions in our policy, which is a large part of how limits are set. In addition to setting appropriate limits according to the environment, we also review injury accidents reported to us by Norfolk Police. The details you have received from Norfolk Police through FOI reflect our own data, the details of the incidents are relevant to poor decisions made by drivers rather than the use of excess speed or HGV’s.

Since the new distributor road has opened we have been monitoring traffic flows in several locations to establish if the change in traffic reflects the predictions made during the modelling phase of this project. A data collection point on Norwich Road Salhouse revealed that an overall reduction in traffic along with reasonable compliance with the speed limit, we do however accept that although close by, this data is not in the same spot you have raised your concern, it will also be a specific snapshot which would not have been during sugar beet harvesting season. With this in mind, we would be happy to support further specific monitoring to verify the volume of different traffic types along with their average speed in this location to either confirm or allay the concerns raised.

The Highway Engineer for the area will be liaising with the elected county councillor in your ward who may be in a position to fund this though his allocated highways budget. The outcome will allow us to examine in better detail the extent of the problem and understand what may be possible to address it.

In relation to the use of this route by HGV’s, in addition to hosting a well-established settlement, Norwich Road is also an important distributor route between Norwich and the wider rural community. Prohibiting HGV’s from using Norwich Road would not exclude any vehicle using the route for access to or from anywhere within the restricted area, the net result would unlikely see the desired reduction in large vehicles, and make the policing of those not adhering to the restriction difficult. Attempting to exclude HGV’s from this route would also add pressure to the surrounding network, for these reasons this is not a proposal we are looking to proceed with.

For residents emerging from their driveways close to the Station Road junction, the contributing factors making this more challenging include the visibility due to road layout, it would not be practical to alter this. It would require land purchase, along with a particularly invasive and costly project to alter this bend. Improving the forward visibility is however possible, by reducing the level of vegetation from boundary features. To gain an improvement here would require property owners to take back vegetation beyond the highway boundary, I would encourage property owners here to discuss this option with each other to establish if a cooperative approach can be agreed. Vehicle speed is clearly a factor here, adjusting the limit would be a discussion following the monitoring process which should reveal if a lower limit would generate compliance.

I understand this may not offer an immediate solution or indeed address all the issues raised to your satisfaction. I do however hope this explains our approach and offers some assurance of a review of the existing 50mph limit.