AMBITIOUS plans for a new third river crossing for Lowestoft took a step forward this week with launch of a website and online petition – with a call to local people to log on and show their support.

Businessman Peter Colby has drawn up plans to build a �30m tidal barrage and road crossing over Lake Lothing in a bid to improve the town's transport links and stimulate economic growth.

As part of his campaign to boost the town's infrastructure, Mr Colby has set up a website – www.lowestoftalive.com – which features information on his project and details on how people can back it.

The website also includes an e-petition that people can click to show their support.

Mr Colby, who hails from Lowestoft and runs Sprowston-based Peter Colby Commercials, said: 'I am pleased to say www.lowestoftalive.com is up and running. I set it up and the petition as we need to keep this (the barrage) moving fast, keep it in the public eye, to ensure we get enough support for it.

'The website will give impetus to the project by getting more people involved in it.

'We got to beat that old, old thing of saying 'That will never happen' – it can happen!'

The new website features sections that show plans for the barrage crossing, how it will benefit the town, how people or groups can sponsor the �30m project and a history page.

As previously reported in The Journal, Mr Colby's project includes plans for a new A12 road crossing over Lake Lothing that would link up with the Waveney Drive-Tom Crisp Way roundabout on the South Lowestoft Relief road in the south of town and the Rotterdam Road roundabout in the north.

The scheme – incorporating a lock and two lifting bridges – is based on the North Sea polder dams in Holland and in seeking to protect Lowestoft from flooding, it also aims to open up large areas of dockside land for development.

Waveney MP Peter Aldous has met Mr Colby to discuss his plans. Although he is not personally backing the scheme, he insisted he was 'lobbying hard' for funding to improve Lowestoft's beleaguered transport system.

Mr Aldous said: 'I have had a useful discussion with Peter Colby regarding his proposed barrage scheme. I shall now be meeting Suffolk County Council as the highways authority and Waveney District Council as the planning authority to work up proposals to address transport issues around Lowestoft.

'Once this has been done I shall present the plans to government, lobbying hard to obtain the necessary money.

'It is important to get things moving after years of under investment from central government.

'Peter Colby's proposals will be given full consideration with the necessary feasibility studies being carried out. I am grateful to him for the work that he has done.'