Bosses behind a car club scheme in Norwich have been given permission to create a further 25 parking bays across the city between now and 2019, as part of major expansion plans.

Norfolk Car Club, which has 17 vehicles across the city available for members to rent on a pay-as-you-go basis, was awarded a £100,000 boost from the Department for Transport last November.

And, at yesterday's meeting of the Norwich Highways Agency Committee, made up of city and county councillors, it was agreed that statutory consultation should start over 25 new bays across Norwich where the cars can park.

The new bays would be in Bank Plain; Bensley Road; Bond Street; Brunswick Road; Bunnett Square; Brian Avenue; Clarendon Road; Edinburgh Road; Fishergate; Greenways; King Street; Mousehold Avenue; Newmarket Street; Northfields; Rawley Road; Recreation Road; Riverside Road; Shipstone Road; St Giles Street; St Mary's Plain; St Clement's Hill; St Leonard's Road; Sussex Street; Waldeck Road and Wilberforce Road.

Further work is also being carried out to establish the car club on campus at the University of East Anglia.

Gail Harris, Labour city councillor and a member of the committee, welcomed the expansion. She said: 'It's a very attractive proposition. I have long been a supporter of the car club.'

The club's bosses are aiming to introduce a new car a month over the next five years.

That would grow the fleet from 17 to 80 by 2019 and bosses hope to make it the first citywide, not-for-profit car club in the country.

The money which the club, which has 500 members, has received, is part of £500,000 handed out by the Department for Transport.

Further details about Norfolk Car Club can be found at www.norfolkcarclub.com

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