Countryside campaigners have urged council bosses not to heed police calls for extra lighting on a controversial new road.

Norfolk police has raised safety fears over the lack of lighting on the proposed Norwich Western Link, saying the £274m route needs to be better lit than the Northern Distributor Road (NDR).

A visualisation of the Norwich Western LinkA visualisation of the Norwich Western Link (Image: Newsquest)

Critics have said the lack of lighting on parts of the NDR has contributed to crashes on the dual carriageway.

No new lighting is proposed along the Western Link, which would run from the A1067 Fakenham Road to join the A47 at a new roundabout near Honingham.

The only lighting will be on the approach to the A47, where a short section would be lit from the new roundabout.

And Norfolk Constabulary has urged Norfolk County Council to rethink its Western Link plans to include extra lighting.

But the Norfolk branch of the Campaign for Rural England (CPRE) said the council should resist calls for extra lighting.

David HookDavid Hook (Image: Bill Smith)

David Hook, from CPRE, said: "CPRE Norfolk opposes the construction of the Western Link.

"But, if the road gets planning permission, it would be very environmentally damaging if lighting was erected along a route that passes through an area of attractive rural dark landscape.

"CPRE Norfolk fully supports Norfolk County Council's decision not to light the roundabouts on the NDR and agrees with Martin Wilby's comments, made when he was cabinet member for highways, transport and infrastructure, that accidents at the roundabouts were primarily caused by speeding drivers and that a lack of lighting was not to blame.

"Norfolk is blessed with some wonderful dark skies and tranquil rural dark landscapes - let's work to protect these features of our county from unnecessary light pollution."

A county council spokeswoman previously said: "We are currently in the planning stage of the project and we will continue to work with the planning authority to respond to the matters that have been raised by consultees."

The Conservative-controlled council's planning committee will decide whether to grant permission for the road in due course.

But, in March, Natural England threw the entire scheme into major doubt by suggesting it was unlikely to issue a license to allow protected bats to be disturbed by its construction.