A NEW £25 million relief road for Lowestoft is the latest in a series of measures which will boost the north Suffolk economy.Wendy Mawer, Waveney District Council's portfolio lead for regeneration, said she was "absolutely delighted" that Transport Secretary Alistair Darling had given the go-ahead for the £25.

A NEW £25 million relief road for Lowestoft is the latest in a series of measures which will boost the north Suffolk economy.

Wendy Mawer, Waveney District Council's portfolio lead for regeneration, said she was "absolutely delighted" that Transport Secretary Alistair Darling had given the go-ahead for the £25.4 million scheme for the South Lowestoft Relief Road following a public inquiry held last year.

"This new road forms a very important part of a whole range of measures that are breathing new life into Lowestoft and Waveney.

"It will link with the work currently under way as part of the Sunrise project currently being carried out in the town centre," she said.

Mrs Mawer said there were a number of measures that were helping to restore business confidence in the area.

"We are working closely with colleagues in Great Yarmouth in an urban regeneration scheme that will bring enormous benefits to both towns.

"There are already a number of initiatives that show business confidence in north Suffolk is high and we want to build on these still further," she said.

Recently the 100th tenant moved in to the Riverside Business Park in Lowestoft and the industrial estates in north Suffolk continue to attract new companies to the area.

Plans to establish a new Honda centre in Lowestoft is set to create up to 60 jobs.

"We have a great deal to be proud of and can look forward to the future with added confidence but I am aware that businesses are suffering disruption caused by the works currently taking place or those that will begin shortly," said Mrs Mawer.

The Conservative district councillor said that because there were different agencies working on the multi-million pound Sunrise project there had been delays.

"I know the hardships that businesses in the Station Square and Suffolk Street areas of Lowestoft and other parts of town are currently suffering.

"I sympathise with them greatly but hope these will just be in the short term and that the whole of north Suffolk will have great long term benefits from the work that is being carried out," said Mrs Mawer.

The South Lowestoft Relief Road and its associated measures project is a major part of the regeneration strategy for the Lowestoft area and its approval also confirmed some of the £3.5 million of European funding for the Sunrise Project.

This will allow the ongoing town centre works to be completed, as well as improving public spaces being created by Royal Plain and Royal Terrace, and changes in London Road South and Marine Parade that will be possible with the removal of much of the existing traffic.

Suffolk County Council has already began the tendering process for the relief road works and it is hoped that work on the project will start in June this year.