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Norfolk Council Defends £500,000 Gorleston Cycle Lanes After Safety Complaints

Funded by the government’s Active Travel Fund, the project faces claims of new hazards from blocked lanes, lost parking, and a narrower road.

Overview

  • Norfolk County Council finished new bike lanes on both sides of Middleton Road in Gorleston as part of a £500,000 scheme that also added zebra crossings and plastic wands.
  • Residents and some cyclists say the traffic lanes now feel too tight and the redesign has made the street less safe for riders and drivers.
  • People report delivery vans and other vehicles stopping in the bike lanes, which has pushed some cyclists onto the pavement to get by.
  • Shopkeepers say fewer or moved parking spaces outside stores have confused motorists and cut footfall, hurting trade.
  • Following wider media attention, Express highlighted the TaxPayers’ Alliance branding the project a “half‑million‑pound white elephant,” while the council told Metro the changes need time to bed in and are intended to improve cycling links and crossings.