Controversial plans to remove two bus stops, as part of a £1m traffic shake-up of a major street, have been scrapped after angry passengers opposed the move.

The proposals for Newmarket Road - one of the main roads in and out of Norwich - had sparked protest from bus users and councillors.

The plans include changes to the Eaton/Leopold Road junction, Lime Tree Road/Christchurch Road junction and the Daniels Road roundabout.

The project also involves creating wider pavements and cycle lanes, including putting in segregator wands to separate pedestrians from those on bicycles.

While most of those proposed changes were backed by the public, there was opposition to proposals to take out an inbound and outbound bus stop near Christchurch Road and Lime Tree Road.

Council officers had said those two stops were not well-used and taking them away would speed up bus journeys for other passengers.

While bus operators were happy for that to happen, passengers were not.

In consultation, 30pc of people said they did not like the proposal to remove them and Liberal Democrat councillors for Eaton also called for them to be retained.

At a meeting of the Transport for Norwich advisory committee on Thursday (January 26), the decision was taken to approve the scheme - but keep the bus stops.

Eastern Daily Press: Graham Plant, Norfolk County Council cabinet member for highways, infrastructure and transportGraham Plant, Norfolk County Council cabinet member for highways, infrastructure and transport (Image: Newsquest)

Before debate began on the scheme, Graham Plant, chairman of the committee and cabinet member for highways, infrastructure and transport, announced the bus stops would not be removed.

He said: "I have had some correspondence about the bus stops being removed in this scheme and I have decided the bus stops will remain."

That was welcomed by Brian Watkins, Liberal Democrat county councillor for Eaton, who said: "I am very pleased to hear that proposal has been made because that was one of the points I was going to raise as a concern."

Eastern Daily Press: Liberal Democrat county councillor Brian WatkinsLiberal Democrat county councillor Brian Watkins (Image: Liberal Democrats)

He said the stops were well used by people from Eaton heading to the Mile End Road doctors' surgery.

A new shared pedestrian and cycle push-button crossing would be built across Eaton Road, while a new Beryl bike bay would be installed.

Officers agreed to rethink where that will be sited, after Mr Watkins expressed concerns about it being at the end of Eaton Road.

The project will be paid for using a slice of the £32m Transforming Cities cash awarded to the council.