Enterprising village youngsters are celebrating after driving a successful campaign for a bus shelter.

The children from Edgefield joined forces to push – and fundraise – for a new shelter to protect them from traffic and winter weather while waiting for their school buses.

They baked and sold cakes to pay for the planning costs, came up with the design for the wooden hut and garnered support from the parish council.

And a year after putting their scheme into action they were given a collective thumbs-up by councillors who passed the shelter plan unanimously – despite concerns from some other villagers.

Mum-of-three Emma Cletheroe, who helped the young campaigners with their scheme, said: 'All the children are so thrilled.'

Their proposal had sparked 50 objections from residents concerned the shelter could become a target for vandalism and be an eyesore to neighbouring properties.

But members of North Norfolk District Council's planning committee branded some of the objections as 'poppycock' and said the children had worked hard on the proposal.

Children who take a bus to school currently wait in the open on the road beside the village hall.

They struck upon the idea for a shelter last year and, after seeking some guidance, took their plan to the parish council where they won support from local members.

Mrs Cletheroe, 39, said: 'They just wanted somewhere to stay out of the weather and obviously with the traffic we just wanted them to have somewhere to stand to be more safe.'

The resourceful youngsters then came up with the shelter's design and to support their grant applications set out on a fund-raising mission, selling home-made cakes door-to-door around the village.

Their tasty idea raised £135 and paid for the planning application, which was passed at the committee's meeting last week.

The new shelter will sit within the walls of the village hall.

It will provide a protected area for youngsters to wait for school buses to Sheringham High and Holt Primary schools and also provide a haven for pupils that travel on public services to class in Norwich.

Suzanne Longe's daughter Catherine, a pupil at Norwich High School for Girls, is among the students that currently have to wait on the edge of the main road for her bus to the city.

Mrs Longe, 48, thought it was 'wonderful' that the shelter had been approved and felt it would be of benefit not just to pupils, but all residents that take the bus.

She added: 'It's a service and a social thing for everyone to use.'

As well as becoming the central stop for buses to Sheringham, Holt and Norwich, it is hoped the shelter will help bring buses to Reepham into the village, as Edgefield sits on the cusp of the catchment area for Reepham High School.

Funding to build the shelter is expected to come from grants and it is hoped it will be up in time for winter.