Norfolk councillor defends cycle safety after road deaths

A senior Conservative has defended his council's strategy on road safety after three cyclists died in Norfolk within the space of a week.

Two men riding electric bicycles died in a crash near Diss on Sunday and a swimming coach died in a collision a week earlier in Norwich.

Six cyclists have died in the county in 2023 compared with four in 2022.

Councillor Graham Plant said: "We are constantly working to improve highway safety."

Mr Plant, the Norfolk County Council cabinet member for highways, infrastructure and transport, said the local authority was in the final stages of implementing a £66m Transforming Cities project and was recently awarded £3m in active travel funding - both schemes funded by the government.

"We're sorry to hear about the death of anyone on our roads," he added.

Liam Calvert, a keen cyclist and Green Party councillor in Norwich, said segregated cycle ways and blanket 20mph speed limits in the city were needed to improve safety.

"It's not taken seriously enough," said Mr Calvert, speaking to BBC Radio Norfolk.

"Highways could be spending an awful lot more money making cycling safe, because this has enormous benefits for the city as a whole; every person who is on their bike is one fewer person in their cars."

A man in his 40s was arrested and released on bail on suspicion of causing death by careless driving after the pair died in the crash on the A143 Bungay Road at Billingford at 21:24 BST on Sunday.

A woman aged in her 60s, named locally as Jane Blackwell, died at the junction of Albemarle Road and Newmarket Road on 20 August. Police appealed for anyone with information to come forward.

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