The movement of more and more people to our beautiful part of Norfolk on the Norwich-Cambridge Corridor, and the associated new housing, creates a huge challenge – and opportunity – for Wymondham and the surrounding villages. With the right strategic vision and plan for sustainable transport (with bike lanes and integrated road, bus and rail links), this could be the catalyst for reviving the historic Town Centre and cementing Wymondham as a beautiful and historic gateway to Mid Norfolk for tourists, small companies and investors heading to the Norwich Research Park.

Without a clear vision and plan, the risk is that the new housing creates an urban sprawl of commuter housing, congestion, pollution and decline of the Town Centre.

Which will it be?

I deeply believe that with a real vision and plan we can unlock a “Rural Renaissance” of local business, enterprise and prosperity in our area, spreading jobs, opportunities and wealth throughout our Mid Norfolk communities, as well as breathing fresh life and vibrancy into our High Streets and services.

Located between Norwich and Cambridge (two of the UK’s biggest and fastest-expanding science, research and innovation growth hubs), Wymondham is ideally placed to make the most of this vision. I believe Wymondham Station should be a stunning gateway for tourists, residents, businesses and innovators alike – and that’s why I continue to call for a proper regeneration package that finally maximises the potential of this wonderfully historic site, while also ensuring it is finally accessible to ALL.

It is unacceptable that, in 2022, people are unable to access Platform 2 due to a lack of adequate access. It is shameful that people have to travel to either Norwich or Attleborough to change platforms and get on the right side of the track.

While the power to resolve this issue is not directly within my power as the local MP, I have tried on numerous occasions, alongside local councillors, to energise the long campaign to get key stakeholders to finally take action and deliver results. Time and time again however, we have seen those efforts halted by new problems and further, seemingly endless delay – even after we helped to secure £600,000 as part of the Greater Norwich bid to the Government’s Transforming Cities Fund, specifically for access improvements to Platform 2.

Sharing local anger that still no progress had been made, I recently convened another urgent summit with key stakeholders and left them in no uncertain terms that the situation needs to be resolved quickly. Although there are some complexities to overcome, there must not be endless foot-dragging. The community must be able to see results.

Resolving Platform 2’s access issues must be the first step of the broader regeneration vision for the Station and I have set out a clear list of actions that I want key stakeholders to rapidly carry out.

Wymondham Station should be a 5G Hub with meeting, community and business incubator spaces, a small supermarket and perhaps some flats for first-time buyers – all packaged in a way that retains the Station’s unique beauty and heritage and is accessible to all.

We don’t want to turn this into a party-political football. We need all of us who “get it” to come together and speak with one voice.