A city centre street is to reopen to traffic within weeks, after county councillors rejected calls for a 'compromise' over the controversial scheme.
Leaders at Norfolk County Council said it was "too dangerous" to continue the experimental traffic order they introduced in Exchange Street during the Covid pandemic - and ruled out using cameras to keep it shut to all but taxis.
The decision to end the traffic ban - taken solely by the council's highways cabinet member Graham Plant - had sparked criticism from the leader of Norwich City Council, opposition county councillors, some businesses and members of the public.
But, during an often ill-tempered meeting of the county council's cross-party scrutiny committee on Tuesday - the last chance for the decision to be reconsidered - Mr Plant stuck by his decision.
And his fellow Conservative councillors rejected a call from political opponents for him to reconsider.
The street, near Jarrolds, was originally closed to the majority of traffic, with some exceptions for loading and deliveries between certain times, in July 2020 as the city centre reopened after Covid pandemic lockdowns.
But the experimental closure order comes to an end on November 18, so a decision had to be made as to whether to continue with it.
Mr Plant decided, due to problems with enforcing the closure and "safety issues" created by drivers having to reverse once they had wrongly gone down Gaol Hill, that it should not be made permanent and should reopen.
He told the scrutiny committee: "When you get down there and have to reverse in the road then it is not safe.
"The experiment is over. We have to make sure it's safe for people to use it."
COMPROMISE CALL REJECTED
Labour councillors had called for a compromise, with the general traffic ban remaining, but taxis allowed to use Exchange Street.
Green councillors called for Mr Plant to be asked to reconsider, saying his decision was not based on sound evidence.
Labour's Mike Sands asked him why enforcement cameras - a number of which are due to be rolled out on roads around Norwich - could not be used to deter drivers from going down Exchange Street.
But Mr Plant said the council could not legally use cameras where the only way for drivers to turn back was by reversing and officers said, in any case, it would take months to consult over using cameras in that location.
The committee rejected the calls for Mr Plant to be asked to reconsider.
Mr Plant did leave the door open for the closure to be revisited in the future - should money be forthcoming to revamp the Gaol Hill area.
Earlier this year the city council bid for government levelling up cash to redesign the road layout on Exchange Street and Gaol Hill to make it more of a pedestrianised area - but the application was turned down.
Mr Plant said: "Should a scheme come along in the future, where it is more pedestrianised and there's a clear delineation between the traffic and pedestrians, I'd be happy to look at that."
'OUT OF TOUCH'
But Green county councillor Paul Neale branded Mr Plant "out of touch" and said his decision to reopen the road to traffic went against the county council's own policies about net zero and encouraging walking and cycling.
He said: "If I was cynical, I would think his decision is based on his party's misguided notion that there is a war on motorists."
Mr Plant, who recently scrapped a committee which had met to discuss Norwich road schemes, was described as a "maverick, pro-motoring cabinet member" by Green county councillor Prof Catherine Rowett.
But Kay Mason Billig, the Conservative group leader at Norfolk County Council, told the committee she had "100pc confidence" in Mr Plant and the decisions he was taking.
READ MORE: Protestors applauded following U-turn on Exchange Street ban
WHAT THE BUSINESSES SAY
Some shops in Exchange Street have welcomed the end of the traffic ban. Miriam Devlin, owner of DIY and hardware shop Thorns, said it was "excellent news".
She said: "It will be good for the city centre and for getting customers into Norwich."
But others which have licences for outdoor seating, have been left unsure what that will mean for them.
Nicola Hay, owner of Cafe 33, had said it would be "devastating" if that area was lost.
Jenny Armstrong, assistant manager at Cote Brasserie, said she was also concerned about the potential loss of outdoor seating.
But she said of the Exchange Street closure: "It was always supposed to be a temporary measure, so it is what it is. But it was good while it lasted."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here