Bus campaign success welcomed by MP and Councillors

Chloe Smith, Member of Parliament for Norwich North and Conservative Councillors from Sprowston have welcomed the reinstatement of the ‘Linacre loop’ bus service after campaigning on behalf of local residents.

The 11A pink line had stopped on Falcon Road West and Linacre Avenue in Sprowston for several decades before heading to the Tesco Extra supermarket on Blue Boar Lane. The route continued to the new housing development near Sprowston Manor Golf Club, before returning along Wroxham Road, through the city centre and terminating at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.

During the lockdown period, three stops on Linacre Avenue, known locally as the ‘Linacre Loop’ were removed from the service.

Local residents expressed their concerns to Chloe and the local councillors that they were not consulted on the changes.

First Buses has said as services returned to normal it had needed to consider how it could make best use of its resources, adjusting frequencies and suspending services in some “lightly-used” sections of routes.

Following a campaign lead by Chloe Smith MP and Conservative Councillors Judy Leggett and John Ward, it has now ben confirmed that Linacre Avenue will be on a new service 11B, operated by Konect Bus, Monday to Friday as of the 6th September.

Commenting, Chloe Smith said, “This is a good result for our campaign. We spoke to lots of residents to who were worried about the Linacre Loop ceasing, because they can’t walk all the way to Wroxham Road bus stops for the alternative service. I’m pleased that Konect has responded to elderly residents’ needs and will run the service from September.”

Local Norfolk County Councillor John Ward and District Councillor for Sprowston East, Judy Leggett commented, “Cllr Judy Leggett and Cllr John Ward together with our MP Chloe Smith who have been lobbying First Bus and the County Council to restore the bus service on Linacre Ave have seen their hard work pay off with the announcement that Konect Bus will take over this route commencing an hourly Mon-Fri service from 7th September. The route is one way from St Stephens to Tesco via Linacre Ave”