MP and Councillors welcome the reinstated ‘Linacre loop’ from today

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.

Following a campaign lead by Chloe Smith MP and Conservative Councillors Judy Leggett and John Ward, it has now been confirmed that Linacre Avenue will be on a new service 11B, operated by Konectbus, Monday to Friday as of today (7th 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 today. We met with Konectbus and local residents last month to discuss their views on changes to the local bus service and I’m pleased that this service will be the right bus route for Sprowston residents.”

Commenting, Cllr John Ward said “The loss of this bus service was something local residents felt very strongly about. Together with our MP Chloe Smith and Cllr Judy Leggett, I worked hard to get a bus service reinstated on this route. We are very pleased that Konect Bus have risen to the challenge and hope residents will respond by making full use of the service”.

Commenting, Jeremy Cooper, Managing Director of Konectbus said “We are delighted to support the residents of the Linacre Loop, with the launch of Konectbus route 11B. This route will provide a lifeline for many of the local residents , whether it be to visit the local supermarkets for their daily shopping needs or access into the city centre. What’s more, the 11B has been scheduled so it arrives in the city centre with enough time to allow a quick connection onto Konectbus route 3 & 4 to access the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital. It is wonderful to see that buses continue to receive local political support and we encourage as many people as possible to use route 11B to ensure it remains a viable service for us to run.”