Our Mid Norfolk Market Towns are vital hubs of community spirit and services. After a difficult few years, it’s more vital than ever that we do all we can to help fuel their success and prosperity – and shape positive futures for them – so as to ensure they remain thriving and vibrant.

We need our market towns to be places where people want to live, visit, work and grow businesses.

That’s why I was delighted to help organise a recent gathering of business, community and civic movers and shakers at St Nicholas Church in Dereham to bring key stakeholders together and focus on how we all would like to see the town develop, grow and prosper over the coming years.

The idea of Reverend Paul Cubitt (Rector of Dereham), the event saw over 30 people join the conversation – with many others signalling their desire to participate in the conversation going forward.

With the Breckland Local Plan Update underway, there is an important opportunity for Dereham to put forward a strong, positive vision for itself over the next 10-20 years. What we need is for local leaders to come forward who have an abiding love for the town – and I’ve suggested the creation of a non-political, community-led Dereham Plan Partnership that can draw on the expertise and views of all groups in Dereham to help inform the vision and work with Breckland Council to deliver it.

By building on its heritage and culture, and attracting new investment, new businesses and new jobs and opportunities into the area, Dereham has a fantastic chance to ensure its long term success.

I’ve offered to help stakeholders set up and convene the Partnership and am following up with them to see about organising the next meeting and discussion early in the new year. Already, those involved are discussing what more can be done to improve the town market place – the gateway to the High Street and Town Centre.

I look forward to working with the likes of Breckland Council, the Town Council, the aboutDereham Partnership and others over the coming months.

To see the recent EDP article on the event, please click here.

To stay up to date with updates on this work, please do regularly check my campaign page here.