HUNSTANTON: Flak flies over resort’s revised Spinney plan
Consultation on Hunstanton Spinney regeneration plans
Strongly-held views on the enhancement project for the Westgate Spinney area of Hunstanton were aired when the latest proposals went on show at a drop-in session in the town on Friday.
The scheme, drawn up by landscape architects Wynne Williams Associates, aims to increase pedestrian priority in the area and create an attractive public space in the town centre for events and activities.
But it has run into flak from the town council and those who would rather see the Spinney left as it is and about £250,000 earmarked for it being used to improve the High Street or go towards other projects in Hunstanton.
West Norfolk Council claims the scheme, which includes a hard-standing area for small events, access-only restrictions for traffic in St Edmund’s Terrace and the removal of 10 to 15 on-street parking spaces in Westgate, would make the area more accessible to pedestrians.
Hunstanton town councillor David Jones said his initial impression was the new proposal looked very nice, but he would prefer to see the money go towards a pedestrianisation scheme in High Street instead.
He said people who shop in Hunstanton were anxious that car parking spaces around the Spinney were not lost, and he pointed out: “We are unlikely to get this sum of money to spend again in the present economic climate.”
Landscape artist Frank Gibson, 88, of Church Street, Hunstanton, said: “If anyone changes the Spinney they should be hung, drawn and quartered in public because it’s a lovely safe little oasis!
“When you walk down Westgate it’s there for you to look at – why spoil what’s beautiful?”
Borough councillor Elizabeth Watson, chairman of the Hunstanton regeneration project team, said: “Opinions are extremely strong on this proposal and I can understand it because a lot of people have lived in this town for a long time and don’t want to see change.
“But I am looking at what it can do for the town in the long term. I want to see the various shopping areas connected so that hopefully people do not just walk to the top of High Street then come back down again but will walk around there.”
She said the £250,000 available would not be enough to do a full High Street project and the shops and businesses there were privately owned.
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Sunday 19 May 2013
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