Villagers left 'stranded' as roadworks block buses

Villagers said they would be left stranded without a bus service for nearly two weeks due to roadworks.

CityFibre is planning to dig up a section of Stalham Road in Sea Palling, Norfolk to install new cables between 2 November and 13 November.

Bus firm Sanders Coaches said it would be "unachievable" to serve the remote coastal village during this time as a diversion would add nearly 32 miles (51km) and 85 minutes to the journey time.

Resident Wendy Dickson, 59, said it had caused a great deal of stress and would make it hard for her disabled daughter Keila to attend hospital appointments.

The 34 Sanders Coaches bus service normally travels up from Stalham, towards the coast to Sea Palling and other villages like Walcott and Mundesley, before reaching North Walsham and returning.

The route makes its way through the Norfolk Broads, and reaching Sea Palling would require buses to circumnavigate Hickling Broad - one of the largest expanses of open water in the region.

Bus operations manager Kieran Smith said: "With a network now spanning Norfolk, we face hundreds of planned road closures and usually take whatever steps necessary to still maintain a reasonable service around whatever is closed.

"Unfortunately, on this occasion, the only available diversion is unachievable. In effect, the village is cut off from the west, which sadly is the direction the bus route approaches from."

Dickson said the disruption had caught villagers by surprise.

She said: "We feel residents need to be better informed by Norfolk County Council.

"We have a community of elderly people who have health conditions as well, who absolutely rely on that service to go and fetch medication.

"It's a bit of a lifeline to them, really. It means we will be stranded for a fortnight."

Dickson added she did not yet know how she would manage to collect prescriptions for her daughter.

However, Sanders Coaches has come to an agreement with CityFibre to allow a bus to stop at Sea Palling at 07:00 GMT and then another in the late afternoon to provide transport to schoolchildren.

CityFibre roadworks have also caused concern elsewhere. A closure was planned for Stalham High Street but this has been delayed to January to avoid disruption to businesses in the run up to Christmas.

CityFibre said it was installing full-fibre broadband connection to the area.

A spokesperson said: "We've engaged with Norfolk County Council and other local groups to ensure ongoing access for school services alongside an alternative route for other traffic, but we appreciate any road closure causes disruption and our team will work hard to complete the work as quickly as possible."

Norfolk County Council said: "Unfortunately there is no suitable local diversion route for buses available whilst this work takes place.

"We have worked with the utility provider to enable school buses to pass through the closure but public services cannot be safely accommodated."

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