Norfolk is set to be awarded almost £50m to make the county's buses better.

The county has been told it is in line for one of the biggest shares of the new government pot in the country, but it is still only half what council officers had hoped to get.

County Hall had sought £105m from the government, but has been awarded an indicative allocation of £49.6m.

And that has prompted a mixed reaction to the announcement of Norfolk's cash - although neighbouring Suffolk has received nothing at all.

The Department for Transport money - the sixth highest allocation in the country - would go towards Norfolk County Council's Bus Service Improvement plan.

That plan is a blueprint for the council's aims for buses over the next five years.

It outlines proposals for simplified ticketing and journey information, fare cuts for under 25s, cleaner, greener buses, and improved accessibility.

The plan sought £40m for a bus priority programme to speed up journeys, £21m for zero-emissions buses, £21.03m to deliver "consistent bus network standards" and £11.8m for better service integration and hubs, including interchange hubs, bus stop upgrades and market town bus station upgrades.

It is not yet clear what the lower than hoped for government award will mean for each of those projects, with the council needing to tell the government what it intends to prioritise by the start of May.

However, the council and bus companies were pleased Norfolk had been allocated a significant slice of money.

Tom McCabe, the council’s head of paid service, said: “This is very good news for public transport in Norfolk.

“It will enable us to work with our bus operators to deliver many of the ambitions, including working towards net zero, that we set out in our comprehensive Bus Service Improvement Plan published last year.

“We want to see public transport that makes it easier for people to get to school, work, shops and medical appointments, and also helps keep our market towns and urban centres vibrant and accessible.

“Alongside bus operators, we will now work to shape the details to ensure we get the best out of the £50m funding for Norfolk.”

Jeremy Cooper, managing director of Konectbus, said: "Norfolk County Council has once again proved to be a leading sustainable transport authority, and one of the few to get a substantial amount of BSIP funding.

"This reflects the county’s collaborative and practical approach and we are excited to work together to usher in a new era for bus travel."

Janette Bell, managing director of First Bus said: "We welcome the funding government has announced today and are delighted that some of our partner authorities have been successful, receiving transformational funding.

"We are now looking forward to delivering the plans on the ground.”

But political opponents at County Hall were less impressed.

Emma Corlett, deputy leader of the Labour group, said: "The Tory government promise 'levelling-up', but yet again Norfolk has received less than it requested for a major transport scheme.

"Although there are some positive changes that can be achieved with the money, it doesn't go far enough and will be little more than tinkering around the edges compared to the climate crisis we face."

Ben Price, leader of the Green group at County Hall, said: "It is disappointing we have not received the full funding to match the council's ambition.

"Clearly the fact we have been allocated more than other areas shows that with Green support we are pushing in the right direction.

"But even with the full allocation, it would not have been enough to revolutionise active transport and support our rural communities."

Transport secretary Grant Shapps said: "The investment we’re making today to ramp up the bus revolution will drive down fares at a time when people’s finances are tight and help connect communities across England."

Last week, the government announced the county council had secured £3.2m from the Department for Transport's £50m Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) fund.

The money will cover almost half the £6.9m cost to replace 15 of First's single decker buses with electric single decker vehicles. First will provide £3.6m.