Published: Tuesday, 4th March 2025
The borough council has welcomed announcement of the Government’s new regeneration programme, the Plan for Neighbourhoods, which is set to invest up to £20m in King’s Lynn over the next decade.
The Plan for Neighbourhoods aims to create thriving places, strengthen communities, and empower local people. In each area under the programme, a ‘Neighbourhood Board’ will be established, bringing together residents, local businesses, and grassroots campaigners to draw up and implement a vision for their neighbourhood.
The Plan for Neighbourhoods is in place of the Long-Term Plan for Towns, which the Government confirmed during its 2024 Autumn Budget would be retained and reformed into a new regeneration programme.
Councillor Alistair Beales, the Council Leader, said:
“We’re very pleased to have further significant national investment coming to King’s Lynn, helping to unlock the full potential of our unique place for local communities, delivering new facilities, opportunities and jobs for residents, supporting the local economy and making more of our rich heritage.
“Last summer we undertook significant consultation within the community to get a picture of people’s latest aspirations for the town. Those valuable insights, together with the national priorities underpinning the ‘Plan for Neighbourhoods’ regeneration programme, will help us identify where this additional investment can make the biggest difference, working with our local partners to shape projects and building upon the good work that’s already in progress under the Town Deal.
“Through major regeneration and investment, our town will become a better connected, more attractive and accessible place, where residents and businesses are inspired and supported to achieve their ambitions, visitors choose to explore as a destination, and where there is more for everyone who comes into the town to enjoy and experience.”
Vicky Etheridge, interim chair of the Town Board, added:
“I welcome this further, much-needed investment in King’s Lynn. During the summer, we ran a major consultation with people who live, work, visit, run a business, and study in King’s Lynn to update our investment priorities for the town in readiness for opportunities like this, and we want to reflect the positive change local people tell us they want to see. Lots of great work is already underway to shape the future of King’s Lynn and I look forward to receiving further information from Government about this latest funding announcement.”
The investment priorities for King’s Lynn, shaped through significant community engagement last summer as part of the Long-term Plan for Towns, are:
- Improve town centre attractiveness and cultural experience
- Create a successful, modern, mixed-use town centre
- Enhance connectivity and accessibility
- Improve safety, security and community wellbeing
- Raise young people’s aspirations and support business and skills growth.
King’s Lynn is already benefiting from the separate Town Deal regeneration programme. Backed by a £25m Government grant and driven forward by a dynamic team on the Borough Council and King’s Lynn Town Board, work is underway to deliver exciting projects that will bring the positive change local people tell us they want to shape the future of our town.
Town Deal projects include the new larger library and community hub currently taking shape on Baxter’s Plain in partnership with Norfolk County Council, the Borough Council’s sensitive revitalisation of the Custom House and the restoration of St George’s Guildhall as a major centre for arts, creativity and theatre.