Norwich’s biggest multi-storey car park has reopened after the coronavirus lockdown - but pedestrians are being carefully marshalled to ensure social distancing.

Eastern Daily Press: Green city councillor Ben Price. Picture: Norwich City CouncilGreen city councillor Ben Price. Picture: Norwich City Council (Image: Norwich City Council)

Norwich City Council reopened St Andrews multi-storey car park on Thursday morning, after coronavirus lockdown restrictions were eased.

The 1,084-space car park, in Duke Street in the city centre, along with other multi-storey car parks, had been shut since the government restrictions were introduced in March.

But the re-opening has been accompanied with measures to keep people away from each other, with the government still urging people to keep two metres away from other people.

The city council said: “To make sure people are able to maintain a good distance from each other when using the car-park, we will be operating a one-way system for pedestrians.

“This means you will need to exit on level 1, onto Duke Street and re-enter on level 2, via the footbridge from St Andrews Street.”

Signs to guide people have been put up in the car park.

And only one person from separate households is able to use the lift at a time, although members of the same household can share the lift at the same time.

However, Green city councillor Ben Price, who has been calling for more to be done to make cycling and walking safer in Norwich as some people return to work, was not impressed.

The government has announced a £2bn investment to make it easier for people to choose alternatives to public transport amid the need to socially distance as some people return to work.

They want councils to create pop-up bike lanes, with protected space for cycling, wider pavements, safer junctions, and cycle and bus-only corridors.

And Mr Price said: “So income and pollution generating car parks reopen, but not a single pop up cycle lane in place.

“We know what the priorities are. We see the message this transmits to the public. No imagination, business as usual, reduced air quality and unnecessary risks to cyclists, pedestrians.”

While the city council’s surface car park have remained open, St Andrews is the first multi-storey to reopen. St Giles and Rose Lane remain shut.