A £4 million regeneration project of North Walsham’s Market Place has been officially completed, bringing hopes that the new-look town centre can restore a sense of pride and community.
The Heritage Action Zone (HAZ) project has created a “people-friendly” Market Place, reducing daytime road traffic by relocating short-stay parking spaces, and replacing them with wider footpaths, benches and planters, while retaining disabled parking and loading bays.
A 'celebration' of the project on Thursday featured speeches from dignitaries including the North Norfolk District Council's chief executive Steve Blatch.
Mr Blatch said: "Nowhere stands still, and North Walsham is not an exception in that respect. It's important that towns reinvent themselves.
"We want wanted to create a space where people can connect and spend time together.
"We believe we have created a space for everyone, which will stand the test of time."
Not all the work is complete - a new 'changing places' toilet block is being built in Vicarage Street, and the historic Cedar House is still being refurbished.
Councillor Lucy Shires, who represents North Walsham West on the district council, said the new-look town centre should prompt a renewed sense of pride.
She said: “The regeneration of the high street has made it a better place to spend time in.
“We’re moving with the times. North Walsham is a beautiful place to live with a strong community.
“I think that historically we’ve not been as proud of our town as we could have been. It’s given us a lot of hope for the future.
“It’s all about rediscovering a town which lots of people had forgotten and welcoming them back.”
The project was funded by NNDC, Historic England, and New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership.
At the celebration, North Walsham High School performed a dance routine accompanied by a piece of music written by the school called ‘Regeneration’.
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