Mile Cross Road walking and cycling improvements

Norfolk County Council and the Transport for Norwich (TfN) partnership recently asked for feedback on proposals to improve the Mile Cross Road and surrounding area so that more people choose to walk, wheel or cycle.  

What's being proposed and why 

The proposed route would provide safe cycle access linking North Norwich with the Marriott's Way, which provides direct traffic free connections to the city centre and beyond. Through traffic would be reduced, pavements and crossings would be more accessible and safety would be improved across the wider Mile Cross estate. This would also provide an improved cycle link for those travelling east or west via Margaret Paston Avenue and Half Mile Road. 

A list of Frequently Asked Questions is also provided below. 

Consultation

A three week public consultation was held in October 2024. The consultation is now closed but full details are available on the consultation website.

Next steps

Regrettably we've taken the decision to temporarily pause the delivery of the proposed Mile Cross walking and cycling improvements due to budget pressure across our wider Active Travel programme.

Following the consultation the project is at a point where the design can be fixed and accurate budget forecasts produced. Construction costs have increased significantly since our original funding bid was submitted and we are no longer able to deliver all of the schemes featured within it at this time.

We would like to thank everyone who took part in the preliminary consultation and assure you that we remain committed to delivering improvements in the area.

 We have agreed with Active Travel England to include this scheme in a further funding round which will open in April 2025.

This webpage will be kept up to date with the latest progress and information 

Background

Improving cycling links between Mile Cross, Hellesdon and the city centre were identified as a priority in Norfolk County Council's Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) for Greater Norwich (consulted on in July 2021) and this scheme is supported by Norwich City Council. The work is estimated to cost £850,000 and would be funded by the Governments Active Travel Fund. This money cannot be used to fund other council services or initiatives and must be spent on cycle infrastructure. 

Contact

For any queries please email transportfornorwich@norfolk.gov.uk

FAQs

General

Why is this scheme needed? 

Mile Cross Road provides a key link for cycling between North Norwich and the Marriott's Way, which provides a direct traffic free connection to the city centre and beyond. 

Improving cycling links between Mile Cross, Hellesdon and the city centre was identified as a priority in Norfolk County Council's Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) for Greater Norwich (consulted on in July 2021) and the scheme is supported by Norwich City Council. 

An accompanying illustration  'Mile Cross Road Scheme - Wider Connections' (PDF, 1 MB) shows the strategic importance of this route and how it links with the existing cycle network. 

Concerns around through traffic and speeding have previously been raised by Mile Cross residents. The proposed closure of vehicular access between Mile Cross Road and Half Mile Road would reduce this activity. It will also help people to cross Mile Cross Road more easily and safely and provide an improved cycle link for those travelling east or west via Margaret Paston Avenue and Half Mile Road. 

Removing pavement parking from Mile Cross Road would ensure more space for those with pushchairs and mobility aids.

How much will the scheme cost and how will it be funded?

The Mile Cross Road scheme has an estimated budget of £850,000 and would be funded by the Government's Active Travel Fund. 

Can the money be spent on something else?

The grant awarded by government can only be spent on improving walking and cycling infrastructure and cannot be used to fund other frontline council services or initiatives.

Will the width of pavement be reduced as part of this scheme?  

The pavement would remain a minimum of 1.5m wide throughout the length of the scheme.

How will I access Half Mile Road in a motor vehicle?  

Under this proposal vehicle access to Half Mile Road would be from Aylsham Road only.

Cycling

What are 'mandatory' cycle lanes? 

Mandatory cycle lanes are a protected safe space for cycling, separating bikes from cars and those on foot. They are marked on the highway with a solid white line and often include the provision of reflective segregation wands, as can be seen in many locations around the city. 

They also include double yellow lines to ensure that vehicles do not obstruct the cycle lane or park on the pavement. 

Will the use of the new cycle lanes be mandatory for all cyclists? 

It will not be mandatory for cyclists to use the lanes but almost all cyclists will choose to do this because they are safe and direct. This will eliminate illegal footway cycling, improving pedestrian comfort. It will also keep the carriageway clear for vehicles to use. 

What do the reflective wands look like? 

They would be white with a slim line base to maximise visibility and available width of the cycle lane. This style wand has been used on the recent Dereham Road / Longwater Lane scheme.

What happens if a wand gets knocked over? 

Spare wands are held in stock by the highway maintenance team and would be replaced if reported damaged or missing.  

The white bases of the wands proposed are of a low-profile slimline design and also made of reflective material so would remain fully visible until the wand is replaced. 

How wide would the cycle lanes be? 

The cycle lanes would be a minimum width of 1.5 metres. 

Who has priority at side roads? 

Motorists joining Mile Cross Road from any of the side roads would give way to all traffic (cars, cycles and pedestrians) in line with the updated highway code. 

How do I access the side streets on the opposite side from the cycle lane? 

You would turn into side streets by driving across both the cycle lane and opposing carriageway as normal, giving way to all oncoming traffic.  

How does the closure of Half Mile Road affect the existing neighbourhood cycle route? 

Half Mile Road would remain fully accessible from Mile Cross Road by bike with dropped kerb access through the closure and the route would be improved with reduced traffic.

Parking

Where are residents on Mile Cross Road expected to park? 

Some sections of Mile Cross Road already have double yellow lines in place and there are already some properties with existing driveways. 

It may also be possible for Norfolk County Council to provide new dropped kerb access as part of the scheme's final design for suitable properties where residents wish to convert their existing front garden to a driveway (subject to the necessary planning permission). Please note this will only include the works in the highway and not any work within the property boundary. 

This is something we may be able to assist with and are keen to hear from any residents directly who would like to discuss this further. Please contact transportfornorwich@norfolk.gov.uk before responding to the consultation survey if this applies to you. 

Any remaining vehicles which we are unable to accommodate with the above off-street provision would need to find alternative parking in adjacent unrestricted areas, but based on vehicle counts we expect this number to be relatively low. 

Keeping the cycle lane and pavements free from vehicles would be key to delivering the aims of the proposal.  

How will people access my property for deliveries/visits? 

Drivers can stop temporarily on double yellow lines where there are no kerb ticks to allow loading/unloading to take place at adjacent properties. Blue badge holders can also park on double yellow lines for a maximum of 3 hrs but this must not be obstructive or dangerous to other road users.

20mph proposal

Why have 20mph speed limits been proposed?

Concerns around through traffic and speeding have previously been raised by Mile Cross residents. This proposal, combined with the removal of vehicular access between Half Mile Road and Mile Cross Road, would reduce these issues and bring speed limits in the neighbourhood in line with other parts of the city. 

We have included it to gauge further public opinion at this stage and this element would potentially require further work and consultation to bring forward if supported. 

What streets included in the 20mph proposal? 

Plan 4 in the consultation documents (PDF, 768 KB) shows a map of all streets where a 20mph limit is proposed. 

The roads are: Appleyard Crescent, Aylsham Crescent, Bacton Road, Bassingham Road, Bignold Road, Blomefield Road, Bolingbroke Road, Bowers Avenue, Bowers Close, Brasier Road, Bulmer Road, Burges Road, Chambers Road, Civic Gardens, Cossgrove Close, Eustace Road, Galley Hill, Gowing Court, Gresham Road, Half Mile Close, Half Mile Road, Hansard Close, Hansard Road, Kirkpatrick Road, Knights Road, Lefroy Road, Losinga Crescent, Margaret Paston Avenue, Marshall Road, Mitre Court, Oxnead Road, Peterson Road, Rye Close, Rye Avenue, Soleme Road, Spynke Road, Tailors Row, Suckling Avenue, and Woodward Road. 

Would the 20 mph restrictions include physical highway measures and how would they be enforced? 

Streets can be reclassified to 20 mph with changes to traffic regulation orders and on street signage alone.  

At this stage no decision has been made as to whether physical traffic calming would be introduced; we are consulting to see if people would like to see the speed limit reduced.

Drayton Road roundabout

How do the cycle lanes link with the Drayton Road roundabout? 

No improvements are currently proposed for the Drayton Road roundabout within the limited budget for this scheme. Cyclists would be expected to cross the roundabout on the highway or use the existing shared use facilities/crossings around all sides of the junction. 

Will any changes be made to the Drayton Road roundabout in future? 

Nothing is proposed at present but may be considered in future should this proposal go ahead and if suitable funding can be sourced. 

Trees

Are you planning to remove any trees? 

There are no plans to remove any trees at present but all trees along Mile Cross Road will be surveyed and reviewed as part of the detailed design should the proposal go ahead. A separate statutory consultation on any street trees that required removal would follow but significant tree loss is not anticipated and any trees that required removal would be subject to suitable replanting in mitigation.