Hunstanton Masterplan described as 'pie in the sky'

Residents and businesses fear the proposed pedestrianisation of the town's High Street will 'kill it'

It’s being described as an opportunity to ‘create a lively and more interesting, people friendly space’, but so far plans to pedestrianise Hunstanton High Street haven’t impressed.

At the town hall, where this week the masterplan has been on display, Gill - who’s lived here for 30 years - tells me, “We’ve been here before, we’ve done this before, it’s a bad idea to pedestrianise the High Street, it will kill it.”

Gill (left)

I ask if she can see any positives. There’s a long pause.

“I’ve been here enough years and we are struggling. I think they should have a meeting, get people’s opinions that way, and explain it better.”

Part of the masterplan is to pedestrianise the High Street

71 year old Sally Parton, who was born here, describes the plans as ‘pie in the sky’.

“I just think they’re trying to put a plaster over the real issue - I’m quite angry about it all. My family all come from Hunstanton, my husband’s family are from here."

“What we need is investment," Sally continues, "Getting rid of carparks as they have done is ludicrous. They’re on about making the high street pedestrianised, that’s been talked about for many many years, who is going to monitor that? And losing more parking is ridiculous.”

Resident Clive Caldicott is deep in conversation with the Borough Council's Regeneration Programmes Officer, Connor Smalls.

Resident Clive Caldicott

“Are we actually going to be doing anything to encourage the town to grow?” Clive asks.

“I’ve been here for 40 years, and this town is dying. You sold off parking spaces for flats that haven’t been sold, that is a real white elephant.

“There is just nothing to encourage the younger generation to live here, to encourage new businesses to employ local people.”

Connor responds, “One of our smaller ideas is an incubation centre, at our offices on Valentine Road.” A place Connor says would help early-stage startups and entrepreneurs.

He encourages Clive to fill out a feedback form with any suggestions, “We’re here to show the ideas that have been developed, and take those opinions away and refine the masterplan before it gets adopted by the council.”

I leave the town hall to take a walk along the High Street, where shoppers can currently park for free for up to 45 minutes.

I stop to chat to Peter Gohegan, aka Mr Bun the Baker, he’s also against pedestrianisation, “I don’t want it - because of losing the parking. It’s a bad idea, would kill the high street.”

The Borough Council says the masterplan is to 'guide the regeneration and development of the town over the next 10 to 20 years'. Other suggestions include a new leisure facility, an events space along the promenade - which would include pop-up bars and food spaces and a plaza with outside seating at the entrance to the Southern Promenade.

Public consultation will end on the 6th of February, the feedback will be used to refine plans before anything goes ahead, the timeline of which isn’t clear.

You can take a look at the plans here and have your say: https://www.west-norfolk.gov.u...