Plans for King's Lynn to attract more tourists

Planners have been outlining their vision to reinvigorate the historic port town of King's Lynn and turn it into a major tourist destination.

The local authority believes it has the potential to become a visitor location on a par with York and Bath.

A Borough Council of King's Lynn & West Norfolk document proposes regenerating the heart of the town in six specific areas, including building 750 homes, a watersports centre and creating more than 18,000 square metres of commercial, cultural and community space.

The plan is designed to cover developments over the next 20 years, but does not come with its own money and is not fully funded.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, those behind the scheme hope the project, currently out for public consultation, will be funded by private investment and government grants.

One of the proposals is to build homes on stilts near Boal Quay and revive the former Debenhams building.

Another involves creating entirely new facilities, such as a watersports area across in West Lynn, with tourist accommodation attached.

The vision is for the new developments to dovetail with Lynn's heritage assets.

Some elements are already under way, such as the £30m renovation of St George's Guildhall, part-funded by Historic England and the government's Shared Prosperity Fund, which hopes to capitalise on the venue's theatrical link to Shakespeare.

Lynn has also seen the completion of a new £17m library, which opened earlier this year.

The plans are supported by the King's Lynn Neighbourhood Board and will benefit from the government's Pride in Place programme, which has earmarked up to £20m for the town over the next 10 years.

Simon Ring, deputy leader of the council, said restoring confidence was one of Lynn's biggest challenges.

The retired financier, who has lived in the town all his life, said: "You've got to change that by marketing and that's what hasn't been done."

The proposals also include plans for bars and restaurants.

Ring said more people living in the town centre was essential, hence the inclusion of housing in the plan.

He said Lynn would also benefit from any boost provided by the long-awaited Ely junction rail improvements. The council says that would allow more frequent trains to Cambridge and London, and encourage people working in Cambridge to relocate to Lynn.

However, no government money has been committed to what would be a multimillion-pound infrastructure project.

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