A NEW road train tour linking Great Yarmouth's Golden Mile with the historic heritage quarter will begin in March. Debra Lord, whose company Lord Choo Choo has operated a seafront service for the past four years, will launch the new attraction at Easter with TV screens in carriages showing commentary about the town's history.

A NEW road train tour linking Great Yarmouth's Golden Mile with the historic heritage quarter will begin in March.

Debra Lord, whose company Lord Choo Choo has operated a seafront service for the past four years, will launch the new attraction at Easter with TV screens in carriages showing commentary about the town's history.

Speaking at Norfolk County Council's area committee for Yarmouth on Monday, Mrs Lord said: “I want as much information about the town's history as possible. I'm trying to show what Yarmouth has to offer.”

Mrs Lord carried out consultation on her plans for the circular route in April last year which attracted mixed reaction, with main concerns being impact on loss of trade for taxi and bus services.

Commenting on the proposals Peter Warner, head of planning at the borough council, said he supported the scheme but warned a subsidised open top bus service, which runs from Vauxhall Holiday Park to the seafront, including the railway station, could see a drop in passenger numbers.

He added, if that were the case, then the operator could well ask for increased subsidy.

Labour councillor John Holmes said he thought it would be a good attraction for the borough. “The only concern I have is the area around King Street between Christchurch and Regent Street,” he said.

Mr Holmes said disabled drivers filled the streets often making it difficult for larger vehicles like lorries to manoeuvre. “I know blue badge holders have a right to park there but they do cause problems and there is always congestion there.”

Fellow Labour councillor Valerie Pettit echoed his comments, saying the train would not be able to manoeuvre the route.

She said: “These roads are parked on quite heavily and with the narrow turnings I don't see how the train will manipulate its way through.”

The new route will link the seafront to the heritage quarter and have six stops, at Joyland, the Pleasure Beach entrance, Time and Tide museum, St George's Chapel, the eastern end of Regent Street and Trafalgar Road, next to St George's Park.

Mrs Lord told the committee the train, just over 5ft wide, had been on two trials of the route and handled it sufficiently well.

Supporting the proposals Labour's Trevor Wainwright said: “I know there might be teething problems but I think we should have this type of attraction.”

David Law, traffic manager at Norfolk Police, said King Street was being monitored by officers and police no waiting cones were often put out on market days, a trend he said would continue.