Plans to regenerate four north Norfolk market towns with £400,000 have been welcomed by the district's Liberal Democrat group.

North Norfolk News: North Norfolk District Council leader Tom FitzPatrick. Picture: North Norfolk District CouncilNorth Norfolk District Council leader Tom FitzPatrick. Picture: North Norfolk District Council (Image: Archant)

Sarah Butikofer, the Lib Dems' group leader on North Norfolk District Council, said the proposal for environmental improvements and regeneration initiatives in Fakenham, Holt, North Walsham and Stalham would boost the whole area.

Mrs Butikofer said: 'Our market towns and their surrounding villages play a vital role in the life and economy of north Norfolk.

'They deserve the council's support.

'I expect each town to have a real say over how the money they are getting will be spent.'

The plans are set to come before a meeting of the full council at 6pm today (Wednesday, February 21).

At the meeting, councillors will also discuss setting the authority's 2018/19 budget and council precept.

And councillor Tom FitzPatrick is expected to stand down as council leader after a turbulent period which has seen a string of his fellow Conservatives resign from the council's Tory group.

Mrs Butikofer said her party also welcomed a decision by the county's police and crime commissioner, Lorne Green, to fund the deployment of extra police beat officers and school liaison officers in north Norfolk.

It follows a Lib Dem proposal for the council itself to pay for five beat officers at a cost of £200,000 a year.

The proposal arose out of the plans to slash 17 PCSOs in north Norfolk, who would be replaced by only one chief inspector and two neighbourhood police sergeants.

Mrs Butikofer said the announcement would: 'Help to cover for the loss of our valued Police Community Support Officers and keep a visible police presence in our towns and villages.

'It shows that our campaign for the district council to fund extra police beat officers if the police commissioner did not plug the gap following the loss of PCSOs has been successful.

'The police commissioner has acted and the district will not now need to intervene at this time.'

The meeting, which will take place at the council's headquarters in Holt Road, Cromer, is open to the public.