A landowner whose property is close to the proposed route of the Western Link road has described the "devastating" impact it will have on local wildlife, in particular a rare bat colony.

The presence of the creatures in the surrounding woodland has already led Norfolk County Council to change the course of the road - one of the main factors which has seen its cost rise by more than £50m to £251m.

But Iain Robinson, a UEA lecturer who owns land next to the new route, said that even with special wildlife measures in place the road would lead to an “immediate and devastating reduction” in the barbastelle bat population.

He said there was no cost-effective solution to the problem and that the only way to protect the bats was to scrap the road.

“Death and injury cannot be avoided and it’s important that the public is not misled into believing the installation of a ‘green bridge’ will be the answer to this insurmountable hurdle,” he added.

Norfolk County Council is considering two strategies to reduce the impact on the colony.

The first would be to have trees in place on either side of the carriageways.

The second would be to build a so-called 'bat bridge' or ‘green bridge’ - restricted to non-motorised traffic only - which could also serve as a wildlife crossing.

Despite the rising price tag, the council remains committed to the project, which it says will bring economic growth and help local communites.

But David Pett, of the Stop the Wensum Link campaign, said the scheme had become a “politically driven vanity project”.

“It’s insulting to the Norfolk public to seek to justify such an obscene increase in the project cost at a time when many people are worrying about increasing fuel and other living costs," he added.