The future look of how Diss will become more pedestrian friendly for residents and its many visitors has been unveiled as part of a £3.2m project to boost the market town.

Yesterday the Heritage Triangle Project launched a public consultation on how the centre of the Diss is set to be transformed.

The project will see new road designs for St Nicholas Street, Market Hill and parts of Market Place that will include traffic calming measures in the form of road squares with kerbs being lowered and pavements widened to make it easier for the elderly and disabled people to cross roads.

Each square created will also have a bench and planters nearby.

The ambitious scheme will also see seven interpretation panels installed around the Heritage Triangle, describing the history of the area.

Nicknamed the 'Toblerones', the six-foot high, three-sided posts will include old maps, illustrations and photographs to tell the tales linked to each location.

There will also be blue plaques in shop windows commemorating the ordinary people of Diss, and display boards in some of the yards.

It is hoped that the

roadworks will start in April next year and run through to June.

Sheila King, Heritage Triangle Project manager, said: 'The designs are part of the £3.2m Heritage Lottery-funded project to revamp the Triangle and restore Diss Corn Hall.

'Aimed at improving pedestrian priority, and calming traffic, the street designs will see new squares created across Market Hill and extending into St Nicholas Street

'The designs will make it much easier for the elderly and disabled to use the area, as kerbs will be lowered and pavements widened, particularly at pinch points on the hills.

'New benches will be added in each square so that there are resting places, and planters will help to make the area more attractive.'

The overall project is seeing Diss Corn Hall being renovated and improved and the final stage of the scheme will see a floating island and walkway installed on the Mere.

For details on the project visit www.heritagetriangle.co.uk

Have you got a Diss story? Email anthony.carroll@archant.co.uk