Campaigners against the Norwich Western Link say surveys show proposed route changes will still cause disruption for bats.

Norfolk County Council released its delayed 2021 bat survey reports this week, with objectors saying it confirmed their fears for rare barbastelle bats.

Earlier this year, Norfolk County Council revealed early plans for an altered route, to avoid roosts but campaigners have maintained objections.

David Pett, of the Stop Wensum Link group, said: “Rather than solving the acknowledged difficulty the bats present to the project, the alignment will, even with known mitigation measures, lead to a high risk of disturbance, of injury and/or death to the bats through inevitable fragmentation.

"This new published evidence can only serve to reaffirm the conclusion reached by many ecologists that there is no solution available, the road if built it will almost certainly lead to a significant decline in the population of this species of bat."

Iain Robinson, a woodland owner, added that the proposed realigned route would avoid roost trees but threaten foraging areas.

Cllr Martin Wilby, cabinet member for highways, transport and infrastructure at Norfolk County Council, said more information on work refining the route and associated mitigation measures will be published on Friday.