From Monday July 6th there will be number of measures introduced in North Walsham town centre by NNDC and NCC. These measures are temporary in nature and will be constantly reviewed to ensure that they reflect the national and local situation and encompass any further changes to regulations as the situation evolves in the weeks and months ahead. This will hopefully encouraging residents and visitors into North Walsham to shop safely while maintaining appropriate social distancing around the town centre.
As your Town Council we have done our best to ensure that we have additional car parking made available on part of the Bank Loke Car Park including 4 disabled bays. This parking will be free for 1 hour as opposed to the 30 minutes currently available in the Town Centre in order to offset the additional time it may take to queue for the retail outlets. Whilst we understand that these steps may not be welcomed by everyone, they are nonetheless essential in a Market Town such as ours that consists of narrow pavements and limited access at certain points to ensure appropriate social distancing and allow people to shop safely whilst the current COVID situation exists.
Town centre – roads and car parking
- Market Place will be closed to through-traffic (access for the residents only) with a barrier in place at both ends. Residents affected have been contacted in relation to this. See map – section between red pin markers. This closure will be reviewed on a weekly basis.
- The adjacent roads – Church Street and Market street leading up to Kings Arms Street – will continue to be open to traffic as normal.
- The 30 minute free parking spaces and blue badge spaces will no longer be available on Market Place, however in the smaller section of Bank Loke car park (see map, pink shaded section), a maximum stay 1 hour free parking will be made available and are to include four blue badge spaces the disabled spaces on Church street remain unaffected.
- The Bank Loke 1-hour free parking is not available in the larger section of Bank Loke. Clear signage will be placed for users.
- The existing 2-hour free parking (due to the recent Cadent Gas works) at Vicarage St. and Bank Loke is to end on July 6.
- Deliveries to Market Place need to be kept to a minimum within the hours of 10am to 4pm. Outside of this time deliveries can take place freely. Businesses will be advised of these restrictions.
- Pavement decals and signage with social distancing-related messages will be applied later this week.
Bus information. In addition to this there will be some slight alterations to the Sanders bus services as follows
- Sanders have confirmed their bus services will be using the registered Thursday Market day route during the COVID-19 Market Place closure in North Walsham as this is well-established and known by regular passengers.
- Service CH 2 will travel via Lyngate Road / Mundesley Road / Crow Road / Bacton Road / Bluebell Road / Marshgate / Pound Road / New Road in both directions.
- Service 6 towards Great Yarmouth will start from New Road bus stop opposite Fire Station, otherwise route is unaffected.
- Service 6 from Great Yarmouth route un-affected.
- Service 6A from Cromer will travel via Kings Arms Street to New Road bus stop.
- Service 6A towards Cromer route unaffected
- Service 18 in both directions route unaffected.
- Service 34 in both directions route unaffected.
- Service X55 towards Norwich will do as CH 2 above then normal timetabled route.
- Service X55 from Norwich will take normal route as far as Market Street in North Walsham and then use Kings Arms Street to get to the New Road bus stop opposite the Fire Station, because the X55 is run with double-deck vehicles there is no option but to use this route due to bridge height restrictions on other roads in to the town.
- School bus service 88 will run as per X55 in both directions as this is a double-deck bus operation.
- Service 210 towards Norwich will start at the Post Office, otherwise route is unaffected.
- Service 210 from Norwich will terminate at New Road bus stop opposite the Fire Station, otherwise route is unaffected.
Cllr Garry Bull
Mayor North Walsham Town Council