Have your say on £20m investment in King’s Lynn
Sponsored Editorial
People are being asked to have their say and help to shape how £20 million is invested in King’s Lynn in a major new consultation.
Earlier this year, King’s Lynn was awarded £20 million Long Term Plan for Towns funding which will be invested in the town over the next ten years.
Now, people who live, work, visit, run a business, and study in King’s Lynn are being asked to share their views and inform a long-term plan for the town.
The feedback gathered in the consultation, which launched on Monday 8 July, will be reflected in a vision and three-year investment plan which is set to be developed to access the funding.
The consultation will focus on people’s aspirations for the town, as well as the funding themes of safety and security; high streets, heritage, and regeneration, and transport and connectivity.
There are a number of ways for people to have their say:
- Fill in the online survey which can be found here.
- Stories of Lynn will be hosting three free family sessions between 10.30am and 12.30pm on Tuesday 23, Wednesday 24, and Thursday 25 July. The Past and Future of King’s Lynn Town sessions will allow young people to discover the changing shape of King’s Lynn and create their own futuristic vision of the town centre. The sessions are open to young people aged 5-17. Visit Stories of Lynn to book a free place.
- On Tuesday 23 July, from 5pm to 7pm, Discover King’s Lynn and Visit West Norfolk will be hosting a drop-in session for town centre businesses at Whatahoot to share their thoughts and ideas about how the investment could be spent. People are invited to drop in at any point during the session.
- Also on Tuesday 23 July, Collusion will be running workshops with members of their Fuse youth group which will include carrying out vox pops with the public to capture their feedback.
- From 5pm to 7pm on Thursday 25 July, a special Platform 30 event will be held. Platform 30 hosts events for 18-30 year olds in the town, and this event will be geared up with fun and feedback in mind. Anyone interested in attending can get in touch by emailing platform30@discoverkingslynn.com or follow Platform 30 on Instagram - where more info will be announced soon.
- The Workshop team will also be carrying out sessions with young people, including in schools. They will also be out and about during Festival Too to hear from any young people who would like to share their views.
- In addition, information about the consultation will be shared at events taking place throughout the summer, including the borough council’s creating communities events.
Details of events will be found on the Vision King’s Lynn website.
Gathering feedback from young people is particularly important and a competition for under 16s has also been launched as part of the consultation. Entrants can draw, paint, or design, and create a picture of what they would like King’s Lynn to look like ten years from now with everyone who takes part automatically entered into a prize draw to win shopping vouchers.
There will be a top prize of £150 in shopping vouchers, second prize of £75 worth of shopping vouchers, and four runner-up prizes of £25 shopping vouchers. Entries can be emailed to VisionKL@west-norfolk.gov.uk or posted to the Borough Council by 1 August 2024.
King’s Lynn Town Board has been repurposed to oversee the Long Term Plan for Towns Funding, in line with guidance.
Vicky Etheridge, Interim Chair of King’s Lynn Town Board said: “With the £20 million investment, we have a fantastic opportunity to bring improvements and develop projects that benefit the town and build on what we have achieved already through the Town Deal funding.
“As we look to what our town’s long term plan will be, the views, ideas, and suggestions of the public are absolutely vital, and the feedback we hear from people will play a crucial role in shaping how this money is invested.
“This consultation, however, is just the start of our engagement with the public, and as we develop the plan and projects, and progress the investment, we will keep speaking to and listening to people so that we can create the future for King’s Lynn together.”
Councillor Alistair Beales, Leader of the Borough Council commented: “The public’s voice is at the heart of how we will determine the investment priorities for King’s Lynn and I would urge people to please have your say.
“This additional funding of £20 million will help us to realise the town’s potential even further, delivering interventions that can make a tangible difference in King’s Lynn, now, and in the years to come.
“By working together, with the public and with partners, we can create a long term plan that reflects people’s needs and aspirations for King’s Lynn. We have a very exciting opportunity for the town.”
For more information about the consultation please click here.
