Construction of a £1.65m roundabout at an accident blackspot will not be able to go ahead until the plans have been cleared by inspectors.
Norfolk County Council wants to build the new roundabout in the village of Hempton - where there have been 32 crashes where people have been hurt over the past 20 years.
The council's planning committee granted permission for a new, four-arm roundabout, north-east of the existing Hempton Green Road/Dereham Road Crossroads junction, in January last year.
But there is still a significant hoop which needs to be jumped through before work can start.
Some of the land needed to build the roundabout is designated as common land.
It belongs to the Raynham Estate and, although people are allowed to use the land, it needs to be deregistered as common land before the roundabout can be built.
The council and the Raynham Estate have applied for permission from the secretary of state to do that, which would also see new common land registered near the new scheme.
A planning inspector will now have to consider the evidence for the application before making a decision on behalf of the secretary of state - a process which can take between six and 12 months.
A spokesman for Norfolk County County council said: "Design work on the new Hempton roundabout is under way and we are working through the necessary legal processes to allow us to start work on site, including finalising the Section 106 agreement and changes to the Common Land.
"We remain committed to this project and we hope to start on the site later this year or early 2025, subject to the finalising of the legal processes."
When the plans were approved, objectors said the roundabout would be close to their homes, causing light and noise pollution.
But Tom Fitzpatrick, Conservative Norfolk county councillor for Fakenham, whose division includes Hempton, said: "Every time there's an accident there, I'm contacted by people saying 'where is our roundabout?'
"It's a miracle nobody has been killed there - there have been several serious accidents."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel