‘A hugely exciting time for Lynn’: Residents will play key role in delivery of £20million funding

Residents have been assured they will play a key role in the way £20million of recently announced government funding will be spent in Lynn.The confirmation that the town is set to receive the cash has been welcomed by key figures.The funding was announced in Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s Spring Budget on March 6, and will see a long term plan developed for Lynn based around three priorities.

It will be delivered as an ‘endowment-style’ fund to support long-term delivery of project over a number of years, as part of the Government’s Long Term Plan for Towns scheme.West Norfolk Council has said that community engagement and consultation will be key to the development of the plan, with opportunities offered in the coming months for people to share their thoughts and shape the plan around the priorities.Cllr Alistair Beales, the authority’s cabinet member for business, said: “The announcement of the Long Term Plan for Towns funding is great news and will allow further improvements to be delivered in Lynn that meet the needs of local people.“With community engagement at the heart, this funding offers a fantastic opportunity for residents to get involved and inform what’s in the plan around three themes, namely safety and security, also high streets, heritage, and regeneration, and finally, transport and connectivity.“We have a solid track record of delivering investment and regeneration in Lynn, and this additional funding offers significant scope to create further improvements, working together with local people.”The funding is in addition to the £25million Town Deal funding which was announced in 2021.Vicky Etheridge, interim chair of the King’s Lynn Town Deal Board, said: “The announcement of the Long Term Plan for Towns funding for Lynn is fantastic news.“This funding represents a significant opportunity to bring further improvements to Lynn, building on what is already being delivered through the Towns Fund, and focusing on priorities that are shaped by local people.“The King’s Lynn Town Deal Board is committed to the success of Lynn, and we look forward to finding out more about the funding and the potential it offers for our town. This is a hugely exciting time for Lynn.”In October 2023, 55 towns were announced as recipients of Long Term Plan for Towns funding. This was followed by a further 20 towns – of which Lynn is one – announced in the Spring Budget.