A campaign aimed at resolving long-standing traffic issues on one of Norfolk's largest housing estates has today moved a step forward.

For years, homeowners living on Queen's Hills in Costessey have been faced with regular delays when trying to get in and out of the estate.

The issue is largely due to the lack of a secondary access road onto the development, which has almost 1,900 homes and an estimated 4,300 people.

But following a campaign led by The Evening News to resolve the problem earlier this year, Norfolk County Council has now come up with a potential solution.

The local authority has reached an agreement with police to allow drivers to use a restricted bus link route to Ringland Lane during 'exceptional circumstances'

The council said the lane would only be accessible if Sir Alfred Munnings Road - the development's only other access - was closed.

It will provide some relief to homeowners who have previously complained of hour-long delays trying to leave the estate.

Tim East, county councillor for Costessey and chairman of the town council, said: 'This will help when the main Queens Hills access is blocked, as has happened on more than one occasion recently when people have been trapped on the estate, or unable to get home.

'Of course this depends upon the bus link being adopted - and it will not solve the bigger issue, which is the day-to-day frustration that residents have to live with because of the single access from William Frost Way to the wider highway network, which is simply inadequate.'

The emergency access route is a single lane that is blocked by a bus gate to prevent it from being used as a rat-run.

Only the police would be able to open the gate to traffic, either by contacting the council's traffic control room at County Hall, or by using a special key.

While people living on Queen's Hill welcomed the move, there is still demand for a more permanent solution.

Lucy Smyth, 36, of Magnolia Way, said: 'There was an accident on the estate yesterday and traffic was struggling to get out for around half-an-hour, so something like that [route] would have been ideal. In the interim, I think it would work.'

Meanwhile Costessey parish councillor Gary Blundell, who also lives on the estate, added: 'The town council will still push for a second exit. We have all these other developments coming up, so we have to safeguard ourselves, so we have the best options for the residents.

'You have to look at the much wider picture, because any housing estate in Norwich will add to the traffic on Dereham Road. It is silly to build a housing estate with just one exit.'

What do you think the council should do? Email newsdesk@archant.co.uk