Norfolk’s police and crime commissioner, Sarah Taylor, has branded Norfolk County Council’s objection to the installation of speed cameras on the A47 “frustrating” after the decision led to the plans being scrapped altogether.

National Highways had proposed cutting the speed limit between Little Fransham and the Dereham bypass from 60mph to 50mph, with average speed cameras installed to enforce it, says the Watton & Swaffham Times.

But Norfolk County Council objected and, in March last year, National Highways ditched the scheme, which would have used automatic number plate reading for cameras to record speed between two points.

Ms Taylor raised the matter at a meeting of Norfolk Police and Crime Panel, during discussions about the number of people killed or injured on Norfolk’s roads. Statistics show 514 people were killed or seriously injured on the county’s roads in 2025, up 2.2% on the 503 in 2024.

Ms Taylor said:

“I’m so frustrated that Norfolk County Council objected to one of the schemes which would have improved safety on our roads. I spoke with Norfolk highways last week. That scheme is not going to come forward again.

“So we now have a piece of trunk road which will not be made safer because of that objection which is really disappointing.”

Graham Plant, the council’s cabinet member for highways, had argued the full dualling of the A47 was the way to make the road safer in the long-term, rather than cutting speed.

But Ms Taylor said:

“A few average speed cameras does not prejudice the delivery of a dualling scheme in future and we should be advocating for safer roads today, regardless of what improvements might come tomorrow.”

(Picture: Mapillary)