People are actually being consulted on the pedestrianisation of Norwich City Centre

Plans are afoot for the pedestrianisation of Norwich City Centre, and, in the words of the great Alan Partridge: we're dead against it.

Norwich City Council have opened a consultation into a scheme which would see the street of Westlegate, closed to traffic, with surrounding roads redesigned, including Golden Ball Street becoming open to two-way traffic and All Saints Street becoming a new public open space. It would appear that this would make John Lewis and the All Saints Centre a focal point of the new area. Local residents and road users are being asked to submit their thoughts.

A 1997 episode of I'm Alan Partridge saw the broadcaster previously give his thoughts on proposed pedestrianisation, during a spot of lovemaking with former Peartree Productions secretary Jill. After asking her, he states his position:  "I'll be honest, I'm dead against it. People forget that traders need access to Dixons. "But they do say it'll help people in wheelchairs."

Local MP, Labour's Clive Lewis told the Daily Mirror,  "I’m supportive of plans for pedestrianisation of Norwich City Centre; it’s good for pedestrians, cyclists and business but it’s also really important that people have their say." He also added that, "Alan’s told me he no longer minds since Dixons sadly closed.'"

Norfolk County Council highways engineer Durga Goutam explained the plans further in the Eastern Daily Press.

“We have looked at the movement of traffic now and modelled how it would change in the future with these plans. Pedestrianisation will help people get into the city and improve movement for shoppers.”

The scheme is hoped to also improve access to car parks and make bus travel smoother through the city; an exhibition of the plans is on display until the end of the consultation, on 27 July, while the results will be reported to the Norwich Highways Agency Committee in September.

Alan had previously explained the frenzied arguments that had taken place over proposed changes to Norwich City Centre's parking charges in the 2013 special Partrimilgrimage; let's hope the bloody scenes that accompanied that debate can be avoided this time.

Alan already has a history of predicting events that would later become reality, with his Cooking In Prison show coming to life in the form of Channel 4's 2012 programme Gordon Behind Bars, which saw Gordon Ramsay train up inmates. Meanwhile, the incredible Accidental Partridge twitter feed is awash with real-life Partridge moments.

(Images: AllStar/Norwich City Council)