Wymondham Town Council could set the ball rolling on an ambitious high street regeneration project aimed at improving the prosperity of the town centre, when it votes on a new proposal at its next meeting on 3rd January.

If adopted, the move would put Wymondham next in line to benefit from town centre investment that could eventually exceed £1 million, now similar schemes in other South Norfolk Council towns Harleston, Diss and Long Stratton have been completed.

According to a paper in the forthcoming meeting’s agenda, Wymondham Town Council would co-fund the improvements by ringfencing a total of £250k for the project, using money from an existing reserve and incoming revenue from charges to housing developers on new builds in the area (Community Infrastructure Levy or CIL). 

The proposal envisages South Norfolk Council matching the £250k with a further £250k through its “CIL co-investment scheme”, plus a top up from the proceeds of selling the Town Council’s former office building at Middleton Street. 

The paper does not yet detail any specific improvements to be covered by the scheme, but does reference the town’s Neighbourhood Plan and proposals from a previously-commissioned architectural report as the “starting point” for future discussions. It also states: “Once a draft proposal for town regeneration is developed a full local consultation exercise would follow, prior to final consideration by a project board, set up to oversee the project and made up of officers and representatives of all the partners.”

A vote on whether the proposal goes ahead will take place at 7pm on 3rd January 2023 at the Wymondham Town Council’s Kett’s Park building and members of the public are freely able to attend and contribute their views on the idea, in person or in writing. Contact details can be found on the Town Council’s website.