A new bus and cycle lane in Kett's Hill could shorten bus journeys and reduce carbon emissions in the city, say officials.

A public consultation has been launched for the plans to introduce the 80m lane down the steep Norwich road.

People have until Friday, January 28 to comment on the proposals.

Norfolk County Council calculate that the work could make bus journeys 80 seconds quicker at peak times and First Bus has committed to increasing the frequency of the route to offer up to 10 buses per hour.

Councillor Martin Wilby, cabinet member for highways, infrastructure and transport, said: "This project would be a significant addition to bus journey time savings we’ve been making across the network through our investment from the Department for Transport, with the ultimate goal of increasing use of sustainable transport and improving air quality in Norwich.

"We also understand there is a balance to strike with the other ways in which people use an area, in particular for those visiting local businesses. With this in mind, the proposals also address the need for parking while improving direct links for those on foot.

“We’d like to hear from anyone who uses the bus services, visits or lives in this area to help shape the final version of the plans put forward to committee for construction.”

Locals and businesses in the area are invited to share their views on the project which will be considered by the Transport for Norwich Joint Committee before a final decision is made.

You can find out more about the proposals and take part here.

Local businesses have already spoken of fears that the work could impact trade. Kett's Hill Bakery fear it could be the "final straw" due to the impact on parking on the road.

The project is part of a wider programme of changes to the city's infrastructure using funding from the £32m Transforming Cities Fund which was awarded in September 2020.

Other projects taking place include the £6.1m St Stephens revamp, a redesign of the Heartsease roundabout and a new bus interchange at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.

The new bike lane is intended to improve the safety of cyclists.

In August, a cyclist was left injured after a crash at the Kett's Hill roundabout prompting an appeal from Norfolk Police.

Earlier this year the crash hotspots in the city were revealed with busy roads and junctions accounting for a large proportion of incidents.