A consultation on changes to the Prince of Wales Road/Rose Lane area of the city starts today, giving people the chance to share their views on the Transport for Norwich proposals.

Plans include a new pedestrian and cycle link on King Street between Prince of Wales Road and Rose Lane, changes to traffic flow and access around Mountergate, as well as new cycle routes to tie in with recently-completed facilities nearby.

An online questionnaire has been set up at www.norfolk.gov.uk/princeofwalesroad to help people share their views on changes to four areas: Prince of Wales Road, Rose Lane, Mountergate to Thorpe Road and King Street/Upper King Street.

Councillor John Fisher, Norfolk County Council’s chair of Norwich Highways Agency Committee (NHAC), says: “Proposals being put forward have been informed by detailed traffic modelling and represent what we feel is best in terms of optimising traffic flow and provision of facilities for pedestrians and cyclists.

“We’re looking for feedback through our consultation to help shape the final detail of the scheme that’s put forward for construction.”

Councillor Mike Stonard, Norwich City Council’s vice-chair of NHAC, says: “Changes in the city centre have already transformed the way people are travelling around Norwich. We’re now turning our attentions to another integral part of our road network, which provides vital connections for public transport, general traffic, cycling and walking, as well as local businesses.

“We’d like to hear from anyone who uses the area regularly to help shape the final details and realise as many benefits as possible from the project.”

The consultation maps and information from the online survey are also on display on the first floor landing of City Hall between Monday 5 February and Monday 5 March 2018, 9am-5pm.

The deadline for comments is 10am on Monday 5 March, after which responses will be considered and reported back to NHAC in summer 2018. The committee will then decide how to proceed with the project.

For more information and background to the project, please visit www.norfolk.gov.uk/princeofwalesroad.

For anyone wanting to discuss the plans in more detail, we are running four drop-in sessions at City Hall, where transport colleagues will be on hand to answer any queries and help you take part in the consultation:

  • Monday 12 February, 10am-2pm
  • Friday 16 February, 3pm-6.30pm
  • Wednesday 21 February, 10am-2pm
  • Friday 23 February, 3pm-6.30pm

The impact of the other city centre changes has been taken into account and this data shows that the original strategic proposal (from 2009) to remove general traffic from Prince of Wales Road and make Rose Lane two-way no longer delivers the objectives of this scheme.

The overall scheme will be delivered in a series of phases but we are seeking views on all elements at this stage. The final order and timing of these phases will be decided once feedback from the consultation has been reviewed. It is likely that the first phase to be delivered will be Rose Lane/King Street as early as September 2018, with Mountergate following in early 2019.

In terms of funding, currently, £2.6m of Local Growth Fund money has been secured to deliver these changes. Detailed costs will be calculated when the final designs are drawn up, which will incorporate changes in response to the consultation where appropriate. Any additional funding needed to deliver later phases of the project will be applied for as needed.

 

Norwich Eye says: ‘Members of our production team use this area as pedestrians, cyclists, car drivers and motorcyclists. Much of the work proposed in these plans is a logical improvement of the streets concerned and should improve the streetscape and increase public amenity areas. However the detail is important. This area suffers from a high level of illegal parking and and vehicle use, particularly near food takeaways and taxi firms. Cycle and pedestrian routes, and vehicle carriageways and green spaces must be effectively protected from illegal parking. The new cycle facility outside the cathedral in Tombland is often abused and used for parking and delivery vehicles around the clock as there are no physical prevention measures to stop this. As a result many cyclists do not use the cycle route provided. There also needs to be greatly improved traffic management at the Agricultural Hall Plain junction to allow effective public transport operation from Castle Meadow. It is important that any new construction is designed to minimise conflict between cyclists and pedestrians which is currently a serious problem on King Street (Northbound between Rose Lane and Prince of Wales Road), outside Anglia TV and on Tombland. There is also a shortage of secure cycle parking and motorcycle parking provision in the area of these proposals.’

What do you think? Please add your view to our comments section below, and don’t forget to respond to the official consultation at www.norfolk.gov.uk/princeofwalesroad