Relief for bosses as major junction work postponed

The Boundary Junction was scheduled to be closed from September 5 until October 21 before the county council took a U-turn due to the amount of competing works in Hellesdon.

Amran Hussen, manager of Red Mango has welcomed the postponement after he had been set to close the Indian restaurant throughout September.

This is due to the eatery being located in an island at the junction.

But the restaurant will now be remaining fully open for dining in and takeaways.

Mr Hussen said: "This is definitely joyful news for us that they are carrying out the work at a later date.

"It allows us to find a way to move forward after the pandemic period.

"This is a key decision by the county council and it will help to save lots of businesses by the Boundary Junction, Aylsham Road and Mile Cross which would have been severely disrupted."

The manager added: "I would say it would have been catastrophic for us."

Hellesdon county councillor Shelagh Gurney at the Boundary Junction which she helped to delay roadworks at (Image: Supplied by Shelagh Gurney)

Costing £500,000, the works will be scheduled for the next financial year and will include the replacement of traffic lights at the junction.

Steve Kerrison, owner of Kerrison Toys in Aylsham Road, said: "I think everyone will be pleased as the closure was going to be an absolute nightmare.

"There must be a better way than closing the whole junction.

"They need to allow north to south access as well as east to west.

"I think the works need a rethink because it's so over the top. If you were to drive around Hellesdon over the last three to four weeks you would see it was the right decision to make."

Steve Kerrison, owner of Kerrison Toys (Image: Archant)

Mr Kerrison added: "We are under no illusion they need time to do it but equally there are better times and better ways of doing it."

A staff member at The Boundary pub said: "We were worried how much we and most of the other shops across the road would be affected by it.

"But likewise the works have needed to be done."