Rush hour traffic queues in Vinces Road, Diss.

Fears have been raised businesses are not occupying vacant premises on a Norfolk industrial estate due to problems with traffic congestion.

South Norfolk councillor Beverley Spratt, who represents Bunwell, said the situation at Vinces Road industrial estate in Diss was discussed at a meeting of the Tas Valley Neighbourhood Board, which he chairs, last week.

Traffic often queues in Vinces Road from the junction with Victoria Road where there are traffic lights and the problems, which have been on-going for a number of years, have led to businesses appealing for action to stop the traffic jams.

Darren Lewitt, an audio-visual director at electronics firm Midwich, has written to the county council, South Norfolk MP Richard Bacon and Diss Town Council about the situation and has also created a video for broadcasting website YouTube to publicise his campaign against traffic congestion, which often stretches back 800m as far as Midwich’s office at the top of Vinces Road.

Mr Spratt said: “Our concern is the same as the town council in that there are industrial units in Vinces Road and the traffic congestion may be preventing businesses from moving in to occupy them.”

The board has also called on Norfolk County Council’s highways department to try and find a solution to the problem.

Concern at the situation has been on-going for a number of years and the town council had hoped a filter lane could be introduced at the bottom of Victoria Road so traffic heading for Roydon would not block traffic heading for Scole.

Last year, hopes of a relief road to ease traffic congestion in Diss were killed off when South Norfolk Council gave the go-ahead for a 120 home Persimmon Homes development in Frenze Hall Lane.