Barriers put up with crossing missing near Aldi in Costessey

Commuters have criticised supermarket giant Aldi for not installing the crossing in William Frost Way when it should have, after the supermarket opened in Longwater Retail Park on July 6.

Norfolk County Council have said that all parties involved, including house builder Persimmon, are looking to "bring forward the crossing as soon as possible" but in the meantime, pedestrian access remains a problem.

Aldi initially tried to back out of developing the pedestrian crossing and opened without one, on July 6 (Image: Newsquest)

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Derek Williams, a keen cyclist who lives in Earlham Road and regularly visits Longwater, said: "Aldi argued it shouldn't have to build the crossing, so they didn't and the shop opened without it, with the council seemingly unable to enforce their planning condition.

"Now, about a week or so after opening, huge barriers have been erected to stop people crossing this dangerous road.

"This is what happens when things are done on the cheap with no proper oversight or group thinking.

Derek Williams, who lives in Earlham Road (Image: Thomas Woods)

"Building the new crossing is now going to be even more disruptive than it would have been had they just built it in the first place.

"You really couldn't make this up."

There has been no shortage of issues during the development of the Aldi supermarket, from neighbours complaining about the "dangerous" widening of a path to resurfacing work causing gridlock days before its opening.

The barriers which have been erected along William Frost Way outside Aldi, in order to develop the pedestrian crossing (Image: Derek Williams)

A county council spokesman said: "The barriers that have recently been put in place are a temporary safety measure.

"They'll remain in place until the pedestrian crossing is delivered.

"The highway authority understands that Aldi and Persimmon are working together to bring forward the crossing as soon as possible."

Peter Silburn, chairman of the Norwich Cycling Group, added: "Aldi were supposed to share the cost of the William Frost Way crossing but tried to get out of it.

Peter Silburn, chairman of the Norwich Cycling Campaign (Image: Newsquest)

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"They only seem interested in people driving to their store, which exacerbates the problems of traffic congestion.

"Clearly no thought has gone into providing a safe route for pedestrians and cyclists that anyone would want to use.

"If the Longwater cycle route – including the crossing of William Frost Way – had been built when it was supposed to have been we wouldn’t be in this mess today."