A call for the bus shelters removed from Norwich's St Stephens Street to be temporarily put back, amid a delay in installing new ones, has been rejected.

St Stephens Street reopened last week after a £6.1m revamp, but a delay to Norfolk County Council's order for new bus shelters means they will not be installed until next year.

In the meantime, passengers face a winter of queuing for buses without cover - prompting a call for the ones which were removed to be put back as a temporary measure.

Emma Corlett, Labour county councillor for Town Close ward in Norwich, made the suggestion at a meeting of the county council on Tuesday (October 11).

She said: "With passengers facing the whole winter waiting for buses on St Stephens Street with no shelter, where are the perfectly good bus shelters that were removed and why haven't they been reused while awaiting delayed delivery of the new ones?"

Eastern Daily Press: Martin Wilby, Norfolk County Council cabinet member for highways, infrastructure and transportMartin Wilby, Norfolk County Council cabinet member for highways, infrastructure and transport (Image: Archant 2021)

Martin Wilby, the Conservative-controlled council's cabinet member for highways, transport and infrastructure, told the meeting he did not know what had happened to the old shelters.

After the meeting, Mr Wilby ruled out putting in temporary shelters, saying it would cause too much disruption.

He said: "We understand and share the frustration caused by the delay to the new bus shelters arriving.

"However, installing shelters temporarily on St Stephens Street is not a viable option.

"It would require an additional road closure over several weeks in the run up to Christmas, causing significant disruption during a crucial trading period.

"This approach would also increase the time and money required to install the new shelters next year, as any temporary shelters would need to be removed first.”

The council has said the delay in getting the new bus shelters is due to a combination of factors.

The authority said disruption to one or more parts of the process can create a knock on effect to the final delivery and installation date.

The council said factors such as materials, fabrication, shipping, cost and staffing have all created pressures and delays to projects across the construction industry.