Overview

The Norwich Lanes is a cluster of independent businesses within the intricate mesh of medieval streets that lie between the market and the river. The experience of walking, browsing and being sociable is intrinsic to its success.

Over the years cars have been moved out of its narrowest streets but traffic remains on the edge in St Andrews Street and St Giles Street, while Exchange Street bisects it.

We can support the economy of The Lanes to recover and thrive by providing more space for walking and cycling and enabling its architectural beauty and character to be better appreciated. We can bind the area together so assets on the edge feel closer to its heart - the Market, Jarrolds, Upper St Giles and St Andrews car park.

The presence of students from NUA infuses the area with energy and creativity. We can knit its campus together by providing the missing link in the riverside walk between Duke Street and St Georges Street. All this is fundamental to achieving the vision expressed in the Norwich City Centre Public Spaces Plan.

Download the Norwich Lanes overview map (PDF) [3MB]

The overview map illustrates a proposal to expand and rename the "eastbound traffic reduction project" in the Transforming Cities Fund (TCF) programme by combining it with other proposed projects around the Norwich Lanes. This would create a genuinely transformative package that supports the government's commitment in its Gear Change document that half of all journeys in towns and cities are walked or cycled by 2030. You can download the city centre public spaces plan from the Norwich City Council website (opens new window)  for more information on other improvement schemes in Norwich.

Changes proposed

The changes proposed are as follows;

1a. Make the temporary exclusion of general traffic in Exchange St permanent, allowing cycling in both directions

1b. Redesign Exchange Street with a high quality pedestrian priority treatment to link St Andrews car park with the market place (funding permitting)

In association with the above, relocation of taxi rank to Bethel Street/St Peters Street

2. Force residual vehicles to turn left from Exchange Street into St Andrews Street removing eastbound traffic route across the city centre from Grapes Hill roundabout to Foundry Bridge

3. Force vehicles to turn left from Charing Cross into Duke Street removing eastbound traffic route across the city centre from Barn Road to Foundry Bridge

  4. Widen footways, plant trees and install two-way cycle track enabled by much lower traffic level in St Andrews Street

5. Remove traffic signals and install zebra crossing over St Andrews Street

6. Install separate zebra crossing and cycle crossing between St John Maddermarket and Duke Street. Install zebra crossings on St Andrews Street and Duke Street

7. Provide loading bay in Charing Cross

8. Move two-way cycle track away from St Andrews car park entrance to west side of Duke Street between St Andrews Street and Colegate

9. Provide crossing over Duke Street on alignment of riverside walk for pedestrians and cyclists

10. Create bridge structure between Duke Street and St Georges Street to fill the final missing link in the city centre section of the River Wensum path and enable easy movement between Norwich University of the Arts buildings

11. Provide parallel cycle and pedestrian crossing across Duke Street on alignment of Colegate and prevent vehicles driving from Duke Street to Colegate through Premier Inn car park

12. Widen footway on the east side of Duke Street between Colegate and Muspole Street

13. Install zebra crossing and prevent traffic turning left from Duke Street into St Mary's Plain

14. Reverse traffic flow and cycle contraflow on Muspole Street to prevent motorists bypassing St Andrews Street eastbound restriction

15. Make temporary traffic restrictions on St Benedicts Street permanent and retain planters and barriers

16. Redesign Upper St Giles with high quality pedestrian priority treatment

17. Install zebra crossing over Cleveland Road from Upper St Giles to Bethel Street

18. Widen footways, plant trees and provide parking and loading bays on both sides of St Giles Street

19. Reverse traffic flow and cycle contraflow on Upper Goat Lane to prevent motorists bypassing Exchange Street traffic restriction

20. St Peters Street to be one-way southbound for vehicles, with cycling contraflow

Proposed changes to traffic flow if schemes agreed 

Proposals for each of the consultation areas include changes to the way in which general traffic accesses the city centre. This is to help achieve the overall aims of the 'Connecting the Norwich Lanes' project.

The plan below brings these together in one map to describe each change individually and show how traffic would flow through the area if all the proposals are agreed and put in place.

Download the proposed Traffic Management Plan (PDF) [396KB]

The changes are described as follows;

• Bethel Street (between Millennium Plain and exit of the Forum carpark) - Make one way westbound
• Charing Cross - All vehicles entering Charing Cross from Westwick Street to turn left into Duke Street. Current No entry for vehicles from St Andrews Street except cycles made permanent.
• Exchange Street & Bedford Street - Make current arrangements permanent (including time restrictions on loading) plus introducing left turn only into St Andrews Street from Exchange Street
• Gaol Hill - No motor vehicles except for commercial vehicles loading and access to blue badge parking. (Taxi rank to be relocated from Guildhall Hill to Bethel Street / St Peters Street).
• Muspole Street - One way direction of traffic reversed
• St Andrews Street - Make traffic westbound movement only
• St Benedicts Street - Make current arrangements permanent. (See separate plan for parking and street layout detail).
• St Marys Plain - No left hand turn from Duke Street into St Marys Plain
• St Peters Street - Make one way southbound
• Upper Goat Lane - One way direction of traffic reversed
• St John Maddermarket - Introduce mandatory left turn from Pottergate with only loading vehicles allowed to proceed straight ahead into Lobster Lane, Bedford Street and Exchange Street between 5pm and 10am