The heavy rainfall over recent days has brought yet more flooding and delays to the A47 between Honingham and Easton. We absolutely must see an end to these repeated disruptions.
While National Highways have already taken urgent action to improve drainage following my extensive representations to their Regional Director for the East, along with his team, it’s clear more still needs to be done by National Highways to properly grip these issues and prevent them happening again.
That’s why, on Wednesday, I am meeting with National Highways in Parliament to raise the matter again. We must see an end to these problems.
I will also use the opportunity to raise accident blackspots like the A47 Draytonhall Lane Junction once more and call for more safety improvements – in addition to reemphasising the importance of fully dualling the A47 all the way from Lowestoft in the East to the A1 in Cambridgeshire to the West.
I am determined to speak up for Mid Norfolk on these crucial issues.
To find out more on my work to hold stakeholders to account and address the A47 flooding, please see below.
To learn more about my work on ‘Making Our Roads Fit For the 21st Century’, please click here.
UPDATE - 6 January 2024
The repeated floodings and delays on the A47 have to stop.
It’s the key arterial route on which all of us depend. These constant floods and delays hit local businesses, villages and all of us who rely on this key road.
Following my extensive discussions with National Highways previously, they have taken urgent action to improve drainage (see my past updates below). But it is clearly not enough.
That is why I am picking this up with them again today as a matter of urgency to make sure they sort out proper flood prevention.
We must also get on with the dualling works as quickly as possible. People have waited over a decade since I got the then Prime Minister to commit to fund the dualling (see here). We now need to get it done with proper drainage infrastructure as part of the county-wide flood prevention works that NCC are leading through their Norfolk Strategic Flooding Alliance – itself based on the recommendations of the Mid Norfolk Flood Partnership I established here in our area (see here).
Rest assured, I will keep on this.
To see the recent EDP article on this latest flooding, please click here.
UPDATE - 24 November 2023
Further to my previous update last week (see here – and below), I have now received an additional briefing from National Highways with regards to the flooding issues on the A47 at Honingham – which have affected many of my Mid Norfolk constituents.
While heavy, unprecedented rainfall has taken place over recent weeks, the Regional Director for National Highways and his team have again assured me that preventing the repeated flooding issues remains a high priority.
Having replaced a damaged surface water drainage pipe following Storms Babet and Ciaran, additional works were then undertaken to clear some nearby trees and a portion of garden wall that were found to be impeding water flow, and causing root damage to the previous pipe. With additional rainfall forecast last weekend, they also had crews standing by to pump any excess water away should there be a build up.
As we saw, unfortunately, those crews were required and National Highways have therefore been taking further action – working with nearby landowners to ensure their land is sufficiently worked (ploughed) post-harvest to minimise surface water-run off and reduce the chance of silt build up in the drainage pipes. Silt walls have also been installed to further mitigate silt build up in drainage pipes – with those pipes also being regularly monitored and cleared by NH crews.
Nevertheless, NH continue to follow the weather forecast and have crews monitoring the location closely. They are equipped with pumps should additional flooding occur. NH are prepared to undertake further works if required.
Rest assured, I will keep on this issue – and am due to speak with the NH Regional Director again on Monday. (To stay up to date with all my work on this issue, and my wider flooding campaign, please visit my campaign page here)
This issue highlights again the importance of dualling this section of the A47 – which improve the flow of traffic during heavy rainfall and enable a much larger and more effective drainage system to be introduced at this location (and others). To see my recent EDP article on why this A47 dualling is so vital, please click here and visit my campaign page here
UPDATE - 21 November 2023
Having raised the recent, repeated flooding issues on the A47 with National Highways and made clear that they need to urgently grip and address them (see my previous webstories here and here), I share the frustration of many of my constituents after further flooding occurred between Honingham and Easton again last week.
That’s why I am raising the matter with the Regional Director for National Highways again.
Commuters and local communities should not have to face this constant disruption. The A47 is a key transport artery and it’s vital that it isn’t closed due to flooding – or subject to severe delays.
It’s clear that recent works to repair a damaged pipe that should have taken surface water to the nearby River Tud were insufficient. NH must move quickly to implement further solutions.
Rest assured, I will keep on this – and hope to provide a further update soon.
To find out more about my wider flooding campaign work, please visit my website here.
To see more on my work ‘Making Our Roads Fit for the 21st Century’, please visit my website here.
UPDATE - 8 November 2023
The A47 is a key transport artery through our county – which is why I shared widespread local frustration at the fact that it was closed multiple times recently due to flooding at Honingham.
Having picked this matter up with National Highways and made clear that they needed to grip the issue and resolve it, I have now received an update confirming that, while most of the flooding could be attributed to sustained heavy rainfall on already saturated ground, subsequent investigations found that a pipe that should have taken surface water to the nearby River Tud was damaged.
National Highways have confirmed that work is underway to replace the damaged section of pipe – which should reduce the chance of such flooding occurring on this section of the A47 again. However, they have also made clear that they remain committed to resolving any other identified issues that may be found.
Rest assured, I will continue to follow progress closely – as part of my ongoing flooding campaign in Mid Norfolk (see here)
UPDATE - 30 October 2023
The A47 is a key transport artery through our county and I share frustration that it has been closed multiple times over recent days due to flooding.
National Highways need to grip the issue. Commuters and local communities should not have to face this constant disruption.
Rest assured, I am following up with National Highways as part of my ongoing flooding campaign work on behalf of Mid Norfolk.
To stay up to date with my flooding campaign, please visit my campaign page here
To see yesterday’s EDP article, please click here
Seeing first-hand the flooding on the old A47 recently, it is both a clear hazard and nuisance to local residents.
As promised, I have been picking this up with Norfolk County Council to make sure that there is appropriate drainage in place (see my previous webstory here).
Whilst the drains were cleared ahead of the winter period, and the existing system should be able to cope with normal levels of rainfall, the recent flooding shows that more needs to be done.
That’s why I am pleased to share that Norfolk County Council are arranging further inspections and works to review and improve drainage, with flood signs being put up in the interim to minimise danger to motorists.
Travelling throughout Mid Norfolk on a regular basis for constituency days, I know how frustrating flooded roads are for all — which is why I shall continue to pick these issues up with local stakeholders.
In Westminster, I’m introducing a bill to tackle flooding & place proper responsibility on developers.
You can see more on my work on flooding, including setting up the Mid Norfolk Flood Alliance, here – and my work to make our roads fit for the 21st century here.
Having run a small business before becoming an MP, and having previously been a Business Minister, I have always sought to support the hard-working entrepreneurs who are the backbone of our Norfolk economy.
That’s why I was pleased to attend the Norfolk Chambers’ ‘Big Debate 2024’ event this past Friday – a key opportunity to engage with local businesses both big and small, discussing the key issues affecting them here in Norfolk – including Norfolk’s Innovation Economy and Net Zero and Sustainability.
Having secured almost a billion pounds of investment in to the Norwich Research Park and been one of the biggest advocates of the likes of the Hethel Engineering Centre, Easton Food Enterprise Hub and Hingham Enterprise Park during my time as an MP – all of which fuel our local Innovation Economy and provide high-skilled and well-paid jobs for local people across Norfolk, I know that the transition can be done in a way that drives forward our local economy.
Our region is at the forefront of some of the most exciting, high growth sectors of tomorrow – and I am determined to make sure Mid Norfolk gets to access those opportunities and share in the prosperity they are already generating in our local communities.
I will also continue to shine a light on, and be a strong voice for, the thousands of wonderful, innovative small and medium sized businesses doing fantastic work across a wide variety of local sectors – from food and drink to high level engineering and environmental tourism.
More on my work to drive forward Norfolk’s Innovation Economy can be found here.
To find our more about my work ‘Backing Local Businesses’, please click here.
Our Mid Norfolk Market Towns are vital hubs of community spirit and services. After a difficult few years, it’s more vital than ever that we do all we can to help fuel their success and prosperity – and shape positive futures for them – so as to ensure they remain thriving and vibrant.
We need our market towns to be places where people want to live, visit, work and grow businesses.
That’s why, having agreed at the ‘A Dereham Plan for Dereham Residents’ event in November to help stakeholders establish a local Partnership that could work with local Councils and drive forward positive initiatives in the town (see more here), I was delighted to chair the first meeting of that new group this past Friday.
With members from across a wide variety of public and private sector fields (including local businesses, the Town Council, Breckland Council, Norfolk County Council, the aboutDereham Partnership and Revd Paul Cubitt at St Nicholas’ Church – among others), we had some promising early discussions – particularly around the future of the High Street and the centre of the town – and are now following up on a variety of actions as the group decides what its main focusses should be and how it might be able to deliver tangible progress.
Rest assured, I look forward to working with the group over the coming months to make sure this cross-party effort takes off – and hope to be able to share further progress updates soon.
To stay up to date with updates on this work, please do regularly check my campaign page here.
Mental Health and Physical Health are so closely linked — with it being vital that everyone feels confident to go to the gym and look after themselves.
That’s why I was pleased to visit NR Health & Fitness in Dereham on Friday to learn more about the brilliant work they do on site – and at their numerous other Mid Norfolk sites.
Having decided to open 24 hours during the pandemic, they really are a gym for all – from 12 to 80+ — and offer a 12 week transformation programme included in their affordable membership, meaning that EVERYONE is able to find a time that suits them.
See more in my video above.
Thank you to Scott, Jess, and the team for showing me around. I look forward to supporting their work in the community moving forward.
To find out more about NR Health & Fitness, who have sites in Attleborough, Wymondham and Watton too – as well as elsewhere, please visit their website here
To find out more about my work supporting a number of other local sports and social clubs, please click here
Having visited the flooding on the old A47 on Saturday, it is clear the nuisance this causes local residents – not least those from nearby villages including Swanton Morley trying to head west to the new A47, into Dereham and to the supermarkets.
People should not have to be venturing on to the wrong side of a main road on a regular basis to avoid floods – with it happening all too often here.
That’s why I am picking this up with Norfolk County Council as part of my ongoing ‘Flooding and the Mid Norfolk Flood Partnership’ campaign – to make sure that there is properly maintained and appropriate drainage in place, and exploring if further steps need to be taken.
To stay up to date on my progress on this, as well as my wider campaign, please visit my campaign page here
We all want to see vibrant local businesses providing important employment opportunities and boosting our local communities.
However, this must not come at the unreasonable expense of Mid Norfolk’s precious rural quality of life or the sustainability of our country roads and local services.
That’s why I met with local residents in Griston recently to discuss in greater depth widespread local concerns at proposals to transform a light, community-focused industrial unit into one focussed on heavy industry — just meters from residential houses.
See my video above.
Having already written to the leader of Breckland before Christmas to make my opposition to the proposal clear, I very much understand why the proposals are of such concern to the local community – and will continue to do everything I can to help make their voices heard.
I will also be flagging the case to DLUHC ministers as an example of why we must ensure rural communities have a strong voice when applications for inappropriate heavy industry are brought forward in their area.
The proposals here would make much more sense down at the industrial park at Snetterton, not in the heart of small rural village.
To find out more information on my work supporting Griston villagers on this issue, please click here
My formal submission to the Breckland Planning Process can be seen below.
As I have pledged on each of the four election nights on which I’ve been honoured to be elected, I will always do my best to represent EVERYONE in Mid Norfolk – not just the people who voted for me.
I take that pledge incredibly seriously, and that’s why I was delighted to continue my regular schedule of constituency school visits again with a recent visit to the brilliant Wayland Academy in Watton.
It was a pleasure to meet with Headteacher Glen Allott and his team again – learning more about the work they’ve done to improve the education of their pupils and congratulate them on their most recent Ofsted rating. It was also fantastic to meet members of the Breckland Youth Advisory Board and many other pupils, finding out more about their aspirations and how the school is supporting them as they look to access some of the incredible opportunities on offer in our county – especially in the science, innovation, research and technology sectors.
See more in my video below.
Rest assured, I will continue to do all I can to support our Mid Norfolk schools and teachers.
To find out more about my wider work on ‘Fairer Rural Schools Funding and Support’, please visit my campaign page here
Anyone familiar with Mid Norfolk knows that our area is home to a much loved sense of spirit and community that binds us all together – which is why I always look to shine a light on, and support, any local projects and initiatives that look to nurture and enhance that spirit for the good of others, especially when the work they do delivers tangible benefits for their fellow citizens.
It was therefore great to be able to join the Dereham Community Litter Pickers team on Saturday – a key local group helping to keep Dereham clean and tidy.
Together, our group of 38 volunteers collected 27 bags (88.9kg) of rubbish.
Thank you to Hawthorn and Bee for sponsoring the group on Saturday – a wonderful example of a local business supporting a brilliant local community initiative.
For more details on Dereham Community Litter Pickers’ vitally important work, please visit their Facebook page here. (The next litter pick will take place on Saturday 24th February at 10am).
I look forward to getting out and joining the team again in the near future.
To learn more about my work ‘Supporting Our Local Community Groups and Sports Clubs’, please visit my website here
NHS Dentistry continues to be one of the biggest issues in my inbox — and I have always been clear that EVERYONE who needs NHS Dentistry should be able to access it, when they need it.
That’s why I welcome the Government’s NHS Dental Recovery Plan this week, which includes:
✅ 2.5 million more NHS dental appointments
✅ £200m more NHS Dentistry funding — bringing the total to over £3 billion a year
✅ Mobile NHS Dental vans
✅ £20,000 incentives for under-served areas like Mid Norfolk
✅ Commitment to explore new dental schools such as at the UEA
✅ Smile for life programme for children’s dentistry
✅ More money to support NHS dentists to treat those who have been waiting longest for Dentistry
This is a significant step forwards, and I am pleased that Ministers have listened and acted following on from my, and others, repeatedly raising this in Parliament and in private meetings.
Rest assured however, I will continue lobbying ministers to make sure that Mid Norfolk is recognised as needing NHS Dentistry support, to make sure it benefits from the above measures including the bonuses to attract new NHS Dentists to our area — and I will very actively encourage them to go even further.
Furthermore, I will continue to work closely with all of my fellow Norfolk MPs to make sure that we secure the new dental school at the UEA — meaning that we can continue to train the dentists we need right here in Norfolk, encouraging them to stay here (with the government also looking at tie-ins to NHS service for graduates). (See more here).
We have seen recent improvements to urgent dental care provision through the Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board’s short-term dental plan, but I very much appreciate there is much more to do.
The NWICB is currently running a consultation on their long-term dental plan and I would encourage all of my constituents who are concerned about NHS dental provision to make their views known.
To find out more about the consultation, please click here
To read more about my wider NHS Dentists campaign, please click here
