Lady Julian Bridge

Top facts

• A long awaited pedestrian / cyclist link between the Riverside leisure / retail complex and the city centre
• Reducing the need for car-based journeys between the Riverside complex & the City Centre.
• A major item of commuter infrastructure for existing businesses & proposed business growth, linking key areas of the city.
• An exemplar partnership project, including the GNDP constituent authorities, developers, local businesses and EEDA.

Location

Riverside, Norwich, NR1 1ED

Description

The Lady Julian Bridge is an integrated cycle / walkway swing bridge (to maintain the core navigation routes to/from the city) connecting the Riverside Complex & the historic King Street in Norwich. The Lady Julian Bridge has been a long established priority for Norwich and a key part of the City Council’s strategy for the regeneration of the City Centre since the late 1980’s. The original developers of the Riverside site & subsequent owners have provided significant developer contributions to the project (£1.7m), however this only equated to around 70% of the total project cost. The GNDP successfully bid for £800,000 from EEDA, and provided a further £75,000 from the Growth Point Funding to enable the project to be delivered. The bridge has been operational since August 2009, and is well-used by both cyclists and pedestrians.

Outcomes

• Stimulating the regeneration of a large brownfield site on King’s Street
• A net reduction in the volume of motorised traffic in & around the Riverside Development complex
• An increase in the volume of commuters using public transport (particularly the railway station), walking or cycling to work
• Significant increase in “joint” visits between the Riverside and City centre retail & leisure zones.

Timescales and funding

Funding:

Timescales:

The project commenced in November 2008, and achieved practical completion in August 2009.

Grapes Hill Bus Lane

Top facts

• Extension of the bus lane on Grapes Hill by widening the West side of the road on the outbound approach to Dereham Road
• Reducing all-traffic waiting times
• Improving bus flow and reliability of service during peak times
• Levered £185,000 of additional funding into the partnership through a successful bid to East of England Development Agency

Location

Grapes Hill, Norwich, NR2 4HH

Description

The key business, leisure and retail centres within the City Centre are well served by a number of radial bus services, linking these areas to communities in and around the city centre. The provision of a high-quality, reliable integrated public transport system remains a key focus of the GNDP, both as part of a longer-term aim to encourage modal shift, and to support the 30% of households in the area who do not currently have access to a private motor vehicle.

This project is one of a number of proposed interventions to improve bus-flow around the city centre. The Grapes Hill / Dereham Road intersection was identified as a priority after consultation with bus operators and reviewing bus performance statistics, the problems are largely linked to the existing road layout.

At peak times, the buses wishing to turn left on to Dereham Road are delayed by vehicles wishing to continue straight ahead at the junction, seriously affecting the reliability of the service. This project addressed the issue through widening the existing carriageway allowing traffic to disperse earlier and enabling the buses to traverse the junction with the minimum of disruption.

Outcomes

• Reduced congestion and improved accessibility for local residents
• Improved reliability and punctuality of all bus services using this route

Funding

GNDP £20,000

Expressway Public Transport

Top facts

• Solar powered, self-contained units
• Weather & vandal proofed
• Provides real-time bus information via GPS
• Touch-screen technology & speaker facility to announce bus information

Location

Dereham Road, Norwich (Junction Longwater Lane to Grapes Hill)

Description

A key proposed feature of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes, providing up-to-date real-time information on the bus services, indicating the bus services running from the stop, information on destination and identifying disabled-user services.

This is a part of a package of ‘off-bus’ public transport improvements to key bus & BRT routes, including ticketless hop-on-hop-off services & bus shelter upgrades along the route, improving the comfort & reliability for all end users, and providing significant improvements for disabled users.

Outcomes

• Real-time bus information displays installed along key radial routes
• Bus shelter improvements
• Ticketless bus patronage

Funding

GNDP £18,000

Dereham Road Bus Rapid Transit

Top facts

• Dereham Road is a pilot project for the 6 proposed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes connecting Greater Norwich
• A series of integrated bus priority measures along a key commuter route
• Providing essential transport links to new and existing communities, reduce peak travel times and improving reliability
• Delivering green infrastructure and public realm improvements in conjunction as a ‘whole corridor’ improvement

Location

Dereham Road, Norwich

Description

In order to facilitate the growth planned for Greater Norwich, Norfolk County Council are developing an Implementation Plan under the Norwich Area Transport Strategy. This work has identified a network of BRT routes, including Dereham Road.

The roll-out of the BRT programme across the area will provide essential transport links to new and existing communities, reduce peak travel times and the need for private motor vehicle usage. This modal shift will be encouraged through providing a fast, reliable and cost-effective service along dedicated routes.

Dereham Road is currently a high frequency bus corridor with in excess of 20 buses per hour during peak periods. The bus corridor serves growth and employment areas at Longwater, Lodge Farm, West Costessey (Queens Hills) and Bowthorpe.

Improving the bus working on Dereham Road would make it more attractive for buses, making the route more reliable and cutting journey times. This could provide particular benefits for the Costessey Park and Ride service, which in-turn may attract more passengers to the service.

The delivery of the BRT programme offers the potential to deliver significant public realm and green space improvements as part of a package of wider corridor improvements (the corridor boundaries will use the River Tud to the North and the River Wensum to the South.)

The BRT programme will provide improvements to public open space and the links between them. It will also encourage safe walking and cycling routes for both commuting and recreation, and access for disabled people.

Outcomes

• Significantly improved Bus reliability
• Increased patronage along the bus routes
• Improved public realms along the route, and improved connectivity to key green infrastructure, further encouraging non-car use
• Providing an essential, rapid shuttle route between key leisure, business and retail centres and new and existing communities.

Funding

GNDP £1,250,000

St Stephens Street Area Masterplan

Top facts

• An outline masterplan has been produced to stimulate investment in this sustainable location in the city centre to contribute to achievement of policy objectives set out in the emerging Joint Core Strategy
• The GNDP involvement in the project helped the City Council to effectively collaborate with the County Council to ensure the transport aspects of the Masterplan are fully reflected and considered in the Norwich Area Transport Strategy
•  The masterplan has already encouraged Marks & Spencer to propose the partial redevelopment of their store which promises to increase the vibrancy of the city centre
• £20,000 GNDP funds levered in a further £85,000 of public, private and charitable sector investment
• Master plan has been put on the CABE website  as a good practice case study: http://www.cabe.org.uk/case-studies/st-stephens-masterplan

Summary

The aim of the project is to make a major enhancement of this part of the city centre possible and to cater for the retail, leisure and employment needs of the growing population and wider rural hinterland of Norwich in a sustainable way by:

• producing an outline masterplan to co-ordinate the development of the area and covering urban design, land use, property, transport, environmental and building conservation issues;
• providing a forum for interested parties to share ideas and aspirations and contribute to the masterplanning;
• reducing risk for property investments;
• providing backing for land assembly;
• following and informing existing Local Plan and emerging Local Development Framework policies; and
• establishing mechanisms for delivering the changes to the area.

The outline masterplan can be viewed here. A hard copy or CD is available from the GNDP on request.

Project partners

The masterplan for the St. Stephens Street area has been developed over the last ten months as an inclusive process. It has been guided by a project team and steering group (including Norwich City Council and Norfolk County Council officers, funding partners, CABE and English Heritage) and one to one meetings have been held with key property owners and their agents.

Funding

GNDP £20,000

Outcomes

• Providing increased retail space and a considerable number of new homes
• Improve accessibility and road safety issues in the city centre
• Better pedestrian linkages to and from the bus station
• Environmental benefits resulting from reduced levels of congestion, and proposed enhancements to the building stock and planting schemes 

St George’s Street and St Andrew’s Plain

Top facts

• Enhancing existing public space and creating new pedestrian areas
• Reducing traffic flow in the city centre
• Improving the environment around St George’s Street and Park

Description

Environmental improvement works to enhance public space and create an exciting destination within an area of cultural and historic importance. The project was split into two phases, the first concentrating on St Andrew’s Plain and the second phase covering St George’s Street, Playhouse Square and Princes Street. The project included the closure of St George’s Street to through-traffic allowing the enhancement of the area for pedestrian and cycle access.

Key contacts

Ben Webster, Design Quality Manager, Norwich City Council 01603 212518

Outcomes

• Creation of safer, more attractive and accessible public spaces for both local residents and visitors
• Closure of St George’s Street to through-traffic resulting in a reduction in the amount of traffic in the city centre
• Creation of a public square linking St George’s Park with the Playhouse
• Improved accessibility with the repaving of St George’s Street, linking St Andrew’s Plain with the Playhouse
• Improvements to street lighting in St George’s Street and St George’s Park

Timescales and funding

Timescale:

The project commenced in January 2007 and was completed in December 2008.

Funding:

St Augustine’s Gyratory and Anglia Square

Top facts

• Traffic improvements contributing to northern city centre
• Linked to regeneration of Anglia Square
• Improve air quality by cutting traffic by half on St Augustine’s Street
• Streetscape improvements and gas main replacement

Summary

Work started on the £3.3m road improvement project in January that will bring relief to the traffic-choked St Augustine’s street in Norwich.

St Augustine’s Street is a narrow shopping street carrying large amounts of two-way traffic between Norwich Inner Ring road and routes northward via Aylsham and Drayton roads. It is often congested, with poor air quality. The proposals, developed by Norfolk County Council with Norwich City Council, allow St Augustine’s to become one-way northbound, with construction of a new link between Edward Street and Pitt Street providing the southbound route, via Magpie Road, for traffic heading towards the inner ring road and the city centre. The improvements have been designed to be compatible with the proposal to redevelop the Anglia Square shopping centre.

The traffic improvements, known as the St Augustine’s Gyratory Scheme, will contribute to the regeneration of the northern city centre, and facilitate the redevelopment of Anglia Square. The cost of £3,286,000 is being largely met by funding received from the Greater Norwich Development Partnership Growth Point budget, with most of the remainder from Norfolk County Council (Local Transport Plan funds). The owner of Anglia Square, Norwich City Council and Norfolk County Council have all provided land to enable the scheme to proceed

The start of work on the project has depended upon legal agreements between the Councils and the private developer of Anglia Square. It also required the legal stopping up of redundant sections of highway within the Anglia Square site.

The project includes:

• A new one-way traffic system northbound up St Augustine’s Street, eastbound along Magpie Road, southbound along Esdelle Street/Edward Street and then west along a new link road to be built between Edward Street and Pitt Street,
• Streetscape enhancements on St Augustine’s Street involving narrowing the carriageway and widening the pavements,
• A 20-mph speed limit along St Augustine’s Street,
• Traffic light controlled pedestrian crossings at St Augustine’s Gate junction, Pitt Street, Magpie Road/Esdelle Street junction and the new link road,
• Closure of Bakers Road to vehicles at its junction with St Augustine’s Street,
• Streetscape and landscaping, including a number of street trees and new planted areas.

Structural maintenance work, strengthening the carriageway on St Augustine’s Street and Magpie Road, and gas main replacement by National Grid along St Augustine’s Street will be carried out at the same time to minimise future disruption.

For the most recent progress please got to the August Newsletter

Outcomes

• A complete transformation of the area, providing more space and cleaner air for shoppers, and a far more attractive environment with the amount of traffic halved at a stroke.
• Replacement of the gas main – this work would have been necessary in the near future anyway so in fact it will add up to less disruption for the street and for motorists.
• This work will bring relief to St Augustine’s Street and improve air quality and resolve congestion in the area.

Timescales and funding

Timescales

Work started January 2010. The construction works are expected to last 10 months

Funding

£2.3 million, including £460,000 from Norwich City Council and £32,000 City S106