Norfolk leaders react after Jeremy Hunt's Spring Budget 2024

While the chancellor's Spring Budget confirmed £4.7bn in long-term transport funding settlements for places in the North and Midlands, there was no announcement of infrastructure money specifically for Norfolk.

An artist's visualisation of the proposed Norwich Western Link (Image: Norfolk County Council)

Norfolk County Council has been waiting to hear if the Department for Transport will increase the £213m it has agreed to provide for the £274m road to £251m.

The government had hinted it might give the road, which would connect the Northern Distributor Road to the A47 west of Norwich, extra cash using money 'saved' from the cancellation of the northern section of the HS2 rail route.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt (Image: Press Association)

And the authority also has a funding gap with the Long Stratton Bypass, with the government having committed £26.2m towards a scheme which now has a bill of £46.2m.

But there was no announcement in the Budget - although the council has confirmed it would be interested in the county getting one of the 15 new special free schools which will be built through a £105m fund.

Norfolk County Council deputy leader Andrew Jamieson (Image: Norfolk County Council)

Andrew Jamieson, deputy leader and cabinet member for finance said: “We welcome the chancellor’s focus on productivity and the funding for children’s homes and special needs education. We are continually working to make the council more efficient."

But, with the council having just agreed £42m of cuts and savings, Mr Jamieson said the government needs to do more to help local authorities.

He said: "We still need sufficient funding to ease the pressures that our valued services are facing right now.

"We will study the detail of the Budget documents and will continue to make our case for fairer funding."

Liberal Democrat group leader Brian Watkins (Image: Liberal Democrats)

Brian Watkins, leader of the Liberal Democrat group, said: "This Conservative government continues to neglect local authority spending, while expecting councils to deliver services which are under increasing pressure each year."

Labour group leader Steve Morphew (Image: Denise Bradley)

Steve Morphew, leader of the Labour group, said: "It seems only Thetford and King's Lynn will get anything, not a whisper on the Norwich Western Link extra funding, nothing for floods and erosion, while Norwich, the economic powerhouse for the region, is overlooked."