Market Towns Initiative: Nine projects to improve four North Norfolk market towns approved

Date published: 3rd December 2018

Photo shows Fakenham town centre

Funding for a wide range of projects designed to improve the economic vitality of North Norfolk’s four inland market towns has been approved.

A meeting of North Norfolk District Council’s Cabinet agreed to a set of recommendations today which had been put forward by the Market Towns Initiative working group.

Each town was able to bid for £100,000 to spend on projects enabling them to take part in the development of their economic future. The money comes from a total pot of £400,000.

Around £130,000 remains in the Market Towns Initiative fund and a second round of applications will be opened to access this money, with the closing date for these applications being February 12^th.

The amount any one town can receive in total will remain at a maximum of £100,000 – so if a town received £50,000 in the first round, it would be able to bid for up to £50,000 in the second round.

Cllr Sarah Butikofer, Leader of North Norfolk District Council and the Liberal Democrat Group, and Chairman of the MTI working group, said: “I was delighted by the range of projects that were put forward and very pleased that Cabinet ratified the recommendations of the working group this morning.

“All of our communities deserve our support.”

Cllr Richard Price, Deputy Leader of the Conservative group, said: “We are committed to helping and supporting our vital High Streets and we applaud the initiative shown by these towns with these ideas and hope that the results are positive.

“This further shows NNDC's support for the people of North Norfolk and their local High Streets.”

The nine successful applicants are:

• Fakenham Town Council - £24,341.67 for a regenerative project that would provide a facelift for rundown shop fronts and signage in the town centre.
• Fakenham Town Council - £2,525 to design and print a heritage guide with a map and information about the town to be used by residents and visitors.
• Active Fakenham - £33,550 to coordinate, resource and market a large number of events in the town centre.
• The Holt Society - £7,210 to design and print a pamphlet and five notice boards to provide information on the Holt Owl Trail to residents and visitors.
• Love Holt - £26,000 to implement a major marketing campaign for the town designed to increase visitors and trade.
• Holt Town Council - £17,514 for projects including an accessible ‘Yellow Brick Route’, and a Holt park and ride scheme.
• Regenerate North Walsham and North Walsham Town Council - £99,575 to implement three major improvement projects split between improving St Nicholas Court, the town centre and attracting more visitors to the town.
• Stalham Town Council - £32,204.70 to improve the tourism offer of the town with an aim to attract more visitors by making improvements to the Staithe and its connection to the town centre via improvements to signage.
• Stalham Area Business Forum - £22,171.25 to implement multiple regenerative projects in the town centre.

 Community groups were able to work together with North Norfolk District Council to put in the bids.