Travel experts believe they have the recipe to end long standing traffic agony at a retail park, caused by motorists queuing for fast food.

Over-spilling queues for the McDonald’s drive-through at Gapton Hall Retail Park have been a constant scourge for motorists and have even sparked flashes of road rage.

This is according to a company drafted in by owners of the retail park to assess the traffic problem, who believe they have the solution to the woes - an extra access lane.

Investec Argo, which owns the park, has applied to Great Yarmouth Borough Council for permission to add the extra lane by widening the existing one at Purley Court.

The proposals come at the advice of a company called Caneparo Associates, which identified the take-away as being the cause of traffic headaches around the centre.

A traffic assessment prepared by the firm says: “When the queue is too long to be contained within the curtilage of the McDonald’s car park, waiting vehicles stack back onto Purley Court and can prevent cars from entering and exiting the retail park car park,

“We understand that this has led to instances of aggressive disagreement and has, at times, caused drivers to get out of their cars.”

The proposals have been welcomed by borough councillor Kay Gray, who sits on the council’s transport steering group.

She said: “McDonald’s has caused problems in the past, so anything that could relieve this is very welcome news.”

The application states that the new lane would provide a capacity for up to 10 vehicles to queue for McDonald’s, while allowing shoppers visiting the retail park to pass freely.

The plans would see the loss of the seven spaces outside Halford’s, which include one disabled bay.

However, the applicants argue that surveys carried out into parking occupancy suggest this would be a sacrifice worth making.

The traffic assessment concludes: “The proposed alterations to the existing access arrangements will result in a tangible improvement to the operation of the retail park by eliminating any potential for congestion and delay associated with vehicles arriving extending onto the public highway.”

The application must now go through the council’s planning process.