Villages to receive funding for road improvements

£919,000 is set to be invested in 153 parish highway schemes, thanks to a county council initiative.

The council’s parish partnership scheme invites communities to bid for cash for improvements such as vehicle activated signs, bus shelters, “trod” footpaths (simplified, low-cost footways, often constructed using recycled road surface material) and village gateways.

This year, the county council is set to provide £401,000. With match funding from parish and town councils and, subject to a decision from the safety camera partnership, this could bring total investment up to £919,000 in 153 schemes across Norfolk.

Bircham’s bid for trod footpaths totals £3,160, Docking’s bid for flashing speed awareness messages (SAM2) is £3,608, Ingoldisthorpe have bid for new posts totalling £4,591 and Ringstead’s bid for new village gateways totals £1,542.

Snettisham could see the most investment in the area with a bid for £10,000 for new trod footways and £2,500 for new village gateways.

Councillor Martin Wilby, cabinet member for highways, infrastructure and transport said: “I’m delighted with the popularity of this scheme, which enables communities to identify the highway improvements they would most like to see. Our money attracts match funding from town and parish councils and the safety camera partnership, enabling us to invest more than £900,000 across Norfolk.”

The scheme was launched in September 2011. This year, the council received 160 bids and is proposing to support 153.

The council’s cabinet is recommended to approve the latest schemes when it meets at 10am on Monday, 2 March. The report, which outlines all 153 schemes, can be downloaded.