A consultation has started on the latest phase of a controversial walking and cycling project in a Suffolk market town, which could see traffic flow reversed.

The Active Travel Woodbridge scheme aims to reduce traffic flowing through Market Hill from Thoroughfare and Cumberland Street while maintaining convenient routes for drivers to leave the town centre and transform how people get around.

This would involve reversing the traffic flow at the Thoroughfare to make it one way eastbound so traffic would enter from Quay Street and exit onto Lime Kiln Quay Road.

READ MORE: Consultations in January on Active Travel Woodbridge

Also the council proposes when the southbound exit via Quay Street is remove this will help divert delivery vehicles and other permitted traffic away from Market Hill.

Meanwhile, two options are being considered for Cumberland Street.

One is to remove traffic restrictions and make the road one-way towards Ipswich Road, giving drivers an exit from Quay Street.

The other is for a modal filter to restrict certain vehicle types between Woodbridge School Prep and the Royal Mail group, while two-way access would be maintained from Ipswich Road.

Emergency and waste vehicles could still pass through using removable bollards, while the short section between Quay Street and the filter would also be two-way, maintaining access for residents and businesses.

Existing traffic restrictions will be removed.

Previous phases of the Active Travel scheme in Woodbridge have attracted criticism over plans for shared pathways for cyclists and pedestrians due to safety concerns.

Initially, the plans had included the potential creation of a 20mph zone in the south of the town and town centre, along with physical restrictions such as bollards to close sections of Bilney Road, Bullard’s Lane, California and near the railway bridge in Sandy Lane.

READ MORE: Active Travel Woodbridge scheme has been watered down

However, the council changed the plans to include traffic calming measures instead of bollards and an “emphasis on traffic survey work to investigate the possibility of more 20mph speed limits”.

Of this latest phase, Woodbridge mayor Nigel Phipps said: “Woodbridge Town Council is pleased to support Suffolk County Council on this third consultation.

“We look forward to hearing the views of our residents before final decisions are made regarding the Active Travel programme for the town centre.”

Councillor Alexander Nicoll, the county councillor’s deputy cabinet member for transport strategy, said: “We have been working closely with Woodbridge Town Council to assess and develop new proposals for traffic movements to help make central Woodbridge quieter, safer and more welcoming for everyone.

“We want to know what people think of these proposals for the Thoroughfare and Cumberland Street and I would urge them to give us their thoughts.”

The consultation, which runs until December 12, can be accessed on the Active Travel Woodbridge website.