Residents of Great Yarmouth will be able to find out more about the plan to build the £120m third river crossing for the town by attending drop-in information sessions next month.

Eastern Daily Press: Yarmouth third crossing. Photo: Courtesy of Norfolk County CouncilYarmouth third crossing. Photo: Courtesy of Norfolk County Council (Image: Courtesy of Norfolk County Council)

The sessions are to be organised by the driving force behind the bridge, Norfolk County Council, but no date has been set for them yet.

MORE; bridge funding anticipatedThe council is also in the process of contacting people who had been housed in homes that had been compulsorily purchased more than 10 years ago as the bridge plans were being developed.

Those homes were made to available to the Saffron Housing Association, with the tenants in them being contacted by the county council to discuss the authority’s plan.

In November the chancellor Philip Hammond announced £98m for the bridge scheme, which could see it completed and open to traffic by 2022.

MORE; uncertainty over homesA spokesman for the county council said: “A number of properties were compulsorily purchased a decade ago and, rather than leave them empty for years, we have them made available to Saffron Housing Association for people to live in while we have been developing the third river crossing and hoping for confirmation of funding.

“People have therefore had the opportunity to be housed but it has always been the intention that this arrangement would be time limited until we received funding for the third river crossing.

“We will be in touch with all the tenants to discuss our plans and answer their questions.

“We also plan to hold a drop-in session for local residents where people will have the chance to examine the plans and discuss them with staff involved in the project. This is due to take place in March.”

MORE; businesses welcome bridge fundingIn another move on Tuesday Great Yarmouth Borough Council will also debate the bridge at a full meeting of the council.

A motion proposed by council leader Graham Plant and councillors James Bensley, Mary Coleman, Kay Grey, Alan Grey and Andy Grant wants the council to write to the local MP Brandon Lewis and transport secretary Chris Grayling, expressing its appreciation for the funding for the bridge and additional transport infrastructure currently being planned and implemented, and the confidence this demonstrates in the borough.