Resident Shaun Wright, front, with his neighbour Terry Dunning, and his partner, Angie Woodman, at the end of Cricket Ground Road where the County Council want to put a gateway as an evacuation route from County Hall in the event of an emergency. Picture: Denise Bradley

Proposals for a controversial emergency evacuation route out of County Hall have been withdrawn - although a new plan is expected to be submitted soon.

Norfolk County Council had been hoping to clear overgrown grassland to create a cut-through from its Martineau Lane offices into Cricket Ground Road.

The authority insisted it needed the route in case of heavy snow or major traffic problems preventing staff leaving through its main exit.

But neighbours strongly objected to the idea, with many suggesting their quiet cul-de-sac would be ruined by any route and the prospect of a metal gate keeping it closed. Ground matting would have been used as the surface for the route.

Norwich City Council was among the objectors that urged the county council to investigate all the alternate options before proceeding.

The county council later agreed it would do this before any planning decision was taken, including examining any routes using Harriet Court’s car park and The Loaning into Conesford Drive then Bracondale.

The authority now says once these have been explored another application will be submitted.

Shaun Wright, of Cricket Ground Road, led a petition against the initial idea and said he would be interested to see what new applications came forward.

He said: “I thought we were getting a lot of momentum against it and a lot of people were putting across a good set of points, which the council couldn’t answer.”

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