Seven city roads shut for Car Free Day as mini street parties take place

On Sunday, September 25, seven city streets closed to vehicular traffic for Norfolk's fourth annual Car Free Day event.

It saw those living in different parts of the city come together to share food, play games and get to know each other outside their front doors.

Britannia Road, Havelock Road, Highland Avenue, Highland Road, Lincoln Street, Tillett Street, and Vincent Road closed and gave city folk a chance to experience their streets without traffic.

Parents and children play in the street in Vincent Road, Norwich - which was shut to vehicular traffic for Car-Free Day 2022 (Image: Tom Barrett)

Closure fees for the annual event - as well as 'Play Streets' at any time of year - have been waived by Norfolk County Council.

Fern Blevins organised the Tillet Road party where people played games in the road, enjoyed drawing chalk art on the tarmac and getting their faces painted.

Fern Blevins, who organised the Car-Free Day play street event in Tillett Road, Norwich (Image: Fern Blevins)

She said: "The play street was deemed a success by everyone involved.

"It surprised me how little effort was needed to make such a positive community event and how, as soon as we closed the road to traffic, opportunities for play and fun opened up that felt impossible to imagine in its usual function."

Those in West End Street and Albany Road marked the day by creating ‘parklets’ - small communal areas in an unused parking space - to give neighbours an inviting area to get to know each other better.

The community parklet being enjoyed by those living in Albany Road, Norwich on Car-Free Day 2022 (Image: Kate Collingridge)

Liam Calvert, who created the West End Street parklet, said: "We had such a lovely time setting up the community parklet with help from a bunch of great neighbours.

"It really is something that gets people sitting and talking with people they might not normally meet.

The community parklet in West End Street being enjoyed by those living in the area (Image: Tom Barrett)

"It would be fantastic to have the opportunity to have them as a sociable spot year-round."

Matt White from Car Free Norwich, which campaigned for an annual Car Free Day, said: "Many people remember playing together in the street when they were young and knowing their neighbours well.

Matt White, a campaigner for Adblock Norwich (Image: Matt White)

"But now lots more people have cars it's less safe to spend time on our roads and so we’ve lost some of this sense of community."

Vincent Road, Norwich on Car-Free Day 2022 (Image: Matt White)

Children play on the tarmac in Tillett Road, Norwich which was closed to vehicular traffic on Car-Free Day 2022 (Image: Matt White)

Vincent Road in NR1 became a community hub on Sunday, September 25 for Car-Free Day 2022 (Image: Tom Barrett)