Plans to revamp Norwich's Heartsease roundabout revealed

For years, campaigners have been calling for Heartsease roundabout to be made safer and Norfolk County Council has unveiled proposals.

The roundabout is one of the trickiest for drivers to negotiate and it is difficult for pedestrians to cross at the busy junction, where Plumstead Road intersects with St William's Way, Heartsease Lane and Harvey Lane.

Heartsease roundabout in Norwich (Image: Denise Bradley)

Proposed changes include:

• The road layout on both the roundabout and its approaches will be turned into single lanes.
• New zebra crossings on all ‘arms’ of the roundabout, including one to replace an existing signal crossing on the northern end of Harvey Lane.
• New shared-use paths for cyclists and pedestrians around all arms of the roundabout, with other new footpaths and cycleways.
• More double yellow lines on St Williams Way and Plumstead Road East.

Plans for Heartsease roundabout in Norwich (Image: Norfolk County Council)

Norfolk County Council and the Transport for Norwich (TfN) partnership plan to use a slice of the £32m government Transforming Cities money to make changes to the roundabout.

Over the past decade, almost 70pc of recorded crashes at the roundabout, in which people have suffered injuries, involved cyclists or pedestrians.

However, plans for the busy junction to become Norwich's first Dutch-style roundabout - with a segregated cycle path and priority for pedestrians and cyclists over drivers - have been scrapped.

Council officers said traffic modelling showed that would have caused "unacceptable delays" for drivers.

Martin Wilby, Norfolk County Council cabinet member for highways, transport and infrastructure (Image: Archant)

Martin Wilby, the council's cabinet member for highways, infrastructure and transport, said: "This is a busy roundabout and we need to look at various measures improving safety for all road users."

Labour county councillor Alison Birmingham, who represents the Crome division, said: "I am pleased that safety is at the heart of the improvements and know that local residents will be pleased with the resulting safety aspects of the plan."

Labour county councillor Alison Birmingham (left at the Heartsease roundabout (Image: Archant 2021)

Public consultation has been launched at www.norfolk.gov.uk/heartseaseroundabout and will run until January 3.

Letters sent to people living nearby stated a deadline of Sunday, December 18, but due to postal strikes that has been extended into the New Year.