Works at the centre of a north Norfolk town are expected to cause "significant disruption" until the end of the year.

North Walsham will see road closures on Mundesley Road, Cromer Road, Market Street and in the Market Place as work begins on a £3m improvement scheme.

The work will see improved accessibility in the town centre, with pavement widening, safer crossing points, landscaping and new street furniture.

As a result of the work Cromer Road will be closed at the junction with Mundesley Road, Market Street and Aylsham Road, while Mundesley Road will be closed southbound.

On Market Street stop and go boards will be in place to direct traffic, while the Market Place will be closed to all traffic.

North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) officers have warned 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.

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.

An NNDC cabinet report states: "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."

The scheme is part of the North Walsham Heritage Action Zone which will be carried out in phases in the town up to 2024.

It comes as the town has been blighted with delays, after gas works saw temporary traffic lights installed on Norwich Road until Friday, September 16, and work to install a new water connection close part of New Road for six days.

Work in New Road is expected to be completed by the end of today.