A controversial decision to hold discussions about multi-million-pound road schemes in secret will mean the public loses faith in the process, a campaign group has warned.
Norwich Cycling Campaign has joined criticism of Norfolk County Council's decision to disband a committee that discussed projects in public and instead have a steering group meeting to talk about them behind closed doors.
Peter Silburn, chairman of Norwich Cycling Campaign, said: "It is crucial that councillors have the opportunity to suggest amendments to proposed schemes and for the public to see that a proper discussion is taking place in the open for all to see.
"As a campaign group, we rely on transparency to have faith in the process."
The decision, made by Graham Plant, the Conservative-led council's cabinet member for highways, infrastructure and transport, came about because of a blunder in the way decisions on projects, such as the St Stephens Street revamp, were handled in the past.
READ MORE: Blunder saw councillors 'agree' major road revamps they had no power over
The Transport for Norwich joint committee - made up of councillors from Norfolk County Council, Norwich City Council, South Norfolk Council and Broadland District Council - had given numerous schemes the go-ahead.
But it emerged last year councillors had no power to make decisions, even though they believed they did.
Instead, power rested with the chairman of the committee - the cabinet member for highways, infrastructure and transport - and councillors were only meant to recommend a course of action for them to approve.
Once that was discovered, the committee's name was changed to the Transport for Norwich advisory committee, making clear it would only make recommendations to the cabinet member.
But its first meeting - where the £4.4m revamp of Heartsease roundabout was due to be discussed - was abandoned when Labour city councillor Ian Stutely led his party in walking out in protest over how that committee was being run.
It will now be replaced by the Transport for Norwich steering group, with members drawn from the county council, city council and the two district councils.
It will not meet in public, although the council says Mr Plant's decisions, which result from its recommendations, will be published.
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