Controversial plans to revamp roads in an historic market town are set to bring "significant disruption", a council has said.

An improvement scheme for North Walsham's marketplace is set to come forward at a meeting of North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) early next month.

The plan aims to improve accessibility to the town and its historic assets, with pavement widening, safer crossing points, landscaping and new street furniture.

But NNDC officers have said it will initially bring "extensive and protracted" disruption, including weekly street markets displaced throughout the works.

To help mitigate against issues from the plans, short-stay free parking will be introduced as a "helpful concession" to encourage footfall back to businesses.

A two-hour free stay will be introduced at Mundesley Road Car Park, with Vicarage Street as a backup.

A report to NNDC's cabinet said: "The [scheme] will be enormously beneficial but during its implementation, there is likely to be significant disruption to the town centre, its businesses and customers."

Fifteen 30-minute free on-street car parking places will also be replaced with 16 one-hour free spaces in suitable locations on town centre car parks.

Officers hope the parking mitigation will give the message the town is "open for business".

Work is planned to start on Monday, September 12 and take over five months to complete.

The scheme is part of the North Walsham Heritage Action Zone, improvement works worth £3m carried out in the town up to 2024.

This phase includes the main street, Market Place, and its junctions with King’s Arms Street and Church Street.

Bob White, owner of the Showcase Gallery in the marketplace, raised concerns about the plans.

He said: "It's going to be hazardous. Very, very hazardous.

"It will have a long-term detrimental impact on the town centre and will fundamentally change the marketplace forever.

"The reduction of parking is already having an effect.

"This will result in a loss of trade at a time when business are facing problems and costs from all directions.

"I believe this is the final nail in the coffin of the marketplace."

However, Richard Kershaw, NNDC's cabinet member for sustainable growth, said the council was working hard to cause as little disruption as possible.

He promised footways around the town will not be closed, there would be no stop to loading and unloading, and step-by-step guides will go out to businesses.

"It's an exciting project, I think it will be a turning point for the town and improve footfall for businesses."