St Stephens and Surrey Street area
Started: January 2022
Completed: Summer 2023
This project was completed in three phases. Phase 3 took place in Spring 2023 and involved further planting and the installation of new bus shelters with additional seating and passenger information in real time.
Background
In September 2020 we proposed changes to St Stephens Street in Norwich to improve facilities, primarily for pedestrians and public transport users by:
- Enhancing the look and feel of the area
- Creating additional space for waiting passengers
- Reducing bus delays by making it quicker and easier for buses to set down and pull away
- Improving pedestrian links between Norwich Bus Station and the city centre
Why?
- This area is a retail area, key transport hub and gateway to the city centre
- Bus delays caused by the current street layout impact passengers, bus operators and contribute to city centre pollution levels
- There is already a high volume of pedestrians using this area and increasing levels of accommodation close by
- Bus waiting areas can become crowded and pedestrian movement restricted
- Limited pavement space on Surrey Street can also restrict pedestrians
Read more details about the St Stephens Street project.
Further Background
We consulted the public on our initial proposals detailed above in September 2020 and a report was presented to the December meeting of the Transport for Norwich Joint Committee.
Plans were then revised in response to the consultation feedback and taken back to Committee in June 2021.
View the report - agenda item 10.
The revised design seeks to increase capacity within the bus station itself, rather than on St Stephens Street and also retain two way traffic on Surrey Street.
Councillors voted to approve the revised scheme for construction at the meeting held on 10 June permitting Council officers to progress the legally required traffic orders associated with these proposals.
Full minutes of all discussions and the final plans approved for construction are available on the above link.
The Department for Transport (DfT) has awarded £32m of funding to TfN from the Transforming Cities Fund to deliver a range of schemes across Greater Norwich. These projects aim to improve access to jobs, training and retail by supporting improvements to sustainable modes of transport, while also responding to issues around air quality.
More information about our application to the DfT and all the proposed schemes can be found at on our Transforming Cities page. You can also read more about previous, current and future TfN projects by visiting Transport for Norwich.
Overview of changes
The proposal focused primarily on St Stephens Street but includes a number of improvements in the surrounding area. The main changes by area are as follows:
St Stephens Street
- New bus shelters and additional waiting areas
- New level access crossing points (raised tables)
- New bus stop alignment to improve transit times
- New digital screens with real time passenger information
- New seating and landscaping features
- New taxi rank (for north and southbound travel)
- New loading bay
Surrey Street
- Pavement widening to improve access between Norwich Bus Station and the city centre
William Booth Street
- Pedestrianised
- Level access paving throughout
Red Lion Street
- New bus shelters
- New taxi rank
Artist's impressions
Aerial artist’s impression of St Stephens Street road crossing
Artist’s impression of a St Stephens Street road crossing from an aerial view
