Norton High Street

A series of high quality, safe and accessible public spaces on Norton High Street are being planned for residents, businesses and visitors to enjoy.

The improvements will provide a more pedestrian-friendly environment on the High Street to support and enhance Norton's growing daytime and evening economy.

The plans include the creation of a northbound one-way system at the southern section of Norton High Street and improvements to extend pedestrianised areas and public realm. They will create more flexible spaces and allow new opportunities for further growth to an already thriving area, such as leisure activities, pop-up markets and outdoor seating.

These improvements will also create six additional car or taxi spaces on the High Street.

The current parking restriction of two hours, no return will be maintained.

Work will begin on the scheme on Monday 26 February 2024 and a number of changes to the High Street will be in place during the construction period. The Council is working with residents and businesses to explain how the different phases of work will impact them.

Throughout the works, access to businesses and properties will be maintained at all times. 

Contact the Council with any enquiries about this scheme

New traffic flow arrangements - Norton High Street

The arrangements are:

• from 4pm on Sunday 3 March 2024, a new, permanent, northbound one-way system will be in place on Norton High Street from the Methodist Church to the service road in front of Tesco Express and Greggs.
• due to the new one-way system, the direction of traffic flow on the service road in front of Tesco Express and Greggs will change. Traffic will enter via Leven Road and exit left onto the High Street via the new one-way system
• these changes are permanent changes to the traffic flow
• the car park outside of the former Costa store will be closed until the end of September 2024
• parking on Harland place will also be closed until the end of September 2024
• temporary disabled parking provision is located on Leven Road shopping parade

• the bus stop on Harland Place has been relocated permanently to the A139

Phases of work

Phase 1

• from 8am to 4pm on Sunday 3 March, the service road in front of Tesco Express and Greggs will be closed to change the direction of traffic flow, which will be a permanent change
• from Sunday 3 March to July, work will be carried out on the west side of Norton High Street between Holly Street and the service road in front of Tesco Express and Greggs
• during this phase, traffic will be able to enter Holly Street from the High Street's one-way system but will not be able to exit Holly Street onto the High Street. A signed diversion will be in place
• temporary delivery access will be available on Harland Place

Phase 2 - July 2024 to September 2024

• from July to the end of August, highways and footpath works will take place from Harland Place to Holly Street
• final surfacing works across the High Street, the service road in front of Tesco Express and Greggs and the car park in front of the former Costa unit will take place

• From Monday 8 July, the west side of South Road, from the Red Lion to the new Harland Place and High Street junction, will be closed to traffic until September. This is to allow a safe working environment for the works in this area. During this period, traffic will be diverted along the new High Street one-way system. Traffic using the east bound lane of South Road will not be affected. 

Road surfacing works taking place in September and October 

• on Sunday 22 September and Sunday 29 September from 8am to 8pm, a road closure will be in place in both directions on Norton High Street and South Road from the Highland Laddie to the Red Lion roundabout. During this time, there will also be no access to the service road in front of Tesco Express and Greggs.
• from 7am on Monday 30 September to 5pm on Friday 4 October, a road closure will be in place on the new on- way system at the southern section of Norton High Street, from the methodist church to the junction at Harland Place.
• on Sunday 6 October, Sunday 13 October and Sunday 20 October from 8am to 8pm, a road closure will be in place in both directions on Norton Road from Keithlands Avenue to the Territorial Army Centre.

Signed diversions will be in place during all of this work.

Public engagement

The scheme is being funded through the £3m allocation that was approved by the Council's Cabinet in February 2021 for improvement works in Norton, Ingleby Barwick and Yarm.

It has been developed following the 'Let's Talk About Our Towns' public consultation in 2020 which identified a need for improvements to parking in the area, traffic flow, while continuing to offer support for local businesses.

Public engagement sessions were held in 2021 to gather feedback on the proposed plans and design.

View the summary of results from the engagement sessions.

Timescales

Phase one of the works included highway and footpath works on the west side of High Street between Holly Street and Leven Road and on the eastern side of the High Street between the A139 and Holly Street.

Phase two of the works began in July, including highways and footpath works from Harland Place to Holly Street. Final surfacing works will take place later in the summer.

The scheme is expected to be complete in the autumn.