Plan to cut town's speed limit and help pedestrians

The draft proposal involves making the town centre more pedestrian-friendly

Plans have been unveiled to lower speed limits in the centre of a market town, improve bus services and make some areas more pedestrian-friendly.

The proposals are in Suffolk County Council's draft Beccles Area Transport Plan, which aimed to improve sustainable travel in the town and the surrounding areas.

The plans, which have a budget of £330,000, also hoped to give "greater priority to pedestrians by reducing/removing traffic and parking".

However some traders said any plans to cut the number of parking spaces could be unpopular with some shoppers and business owners.

Beccles has a population of nearly 14,000 people

The report outlines moves to improve bus links with "greater coverage and frequency of services" to "better meet local community demands".

One trader, who did not want to be named, said: "I just wouldn't want people to be put off coming into the town because they couldn't find somewhere to park."

As well as cutting the speed limit, the report proposes things such as chicanes and pavement widening to encourage slower driving.

In a written response, The Beccles Society said: "Some of the historic streets within the conservation area are overwhelmed by bus movements." It said that if bus numbers increased, it would make the situation worse.

The society suggested moving the main bus station from Old Market to the railway station.

However, Christine Pinsent, former chair of Beccles Business and Tourism Association, said: "The bus station is in a good position, and to put that down by the train station would be detrimental to the town because there's not enough space there for it and it would be further away from the town centre.

"However, the idea of introducing lower speed limits in the town centre may be a positive move."

A spokesperson for Suffolk County Council said: "The Beccles Area Transport Plan is planned to be adopted with the wider Local Transport Plan in January 2025, and implementation will follow."