LOCALS and traders helping to firm up plans for a major traffic shake-up in Great Yarmouth broadly approve of the scheme but are seeking assurances about the benefit to business.

LOCALS and traders helping to firm up plans for a major traffic shake-up in Great Yarmouth broadly approve of the scheme but are seeking assurances about the benefit to business.

More face-to-face meetings are planned to gauge public opinion about the changes, part of an ambitious �8.5m plan to redevelop St Georges Chapel as a cultural and arts' hub.

As reported in last week's Mercury latest plans include the total pedestrianisation of St Georges Plain sweeping away 90 minute parking, and a reversal of the current one way system.

Buses and parking bays are among items on the agenda following the launch of the latest consultation phase last week with some business seeking clarification about the likely impact on their trade.

Project engineer David Wardale said feedback so far had been fairly limited but favourable and given the scale of the changes.

More sets of drawings were being sent to the Comeunity Centre in King Street to meet demand, he added.

“We have had a couple of phone calls but otherwise it has been fairly quiet. With the calls it was mainly clarification as much as anything, to do with the parking. Considering the degree of change I would have expected more although we have did to some pre-consultation before we went wider with it. Generally it seems to have been met fairly favourably.”

Mr Wardale said the �8.5m regeneration scheme focussed on St Georges, a former theatre, was a good opportunity to look again at traffic flows, parking and loading in the King Street/Deneside areas.

Officials he said were keen to introduce more 30 minute parking and to reclaim a taxi rank mainly used at night for day time parking.

The consultation will look at the best place to re-site bus stops like the Barrack Estate stop in Kings Street which could either go further round in Regent Street or round the corner in Deneside.

The plans aim to cut the dominance of cars and promote shopper footfall around the Victoria Arcade/Greenwoods area.

People can hear more about the plans today at the first face-to-face consultation at the Comeunity Centre from 1-4pm today.

Further meetings will take place on August 21 and at Christchurch on August 26 from 5-8pm.

To comment contact David Wardale on 01603 223259, or via david.wardale@norfolk.gov.uk or by post to David Wardale, Planning and Transportation, Norfolk County Council, County Hall, Martineau Lane, Norwich, Norfolk, NR21 2DH.