Chance to have your say on seaside town's future

Townsfolk are being encouraged to attend a pair of drop-in sessions where the emerging Wells-next-the-Sea Neighbourhood Plan will be presented.

Wells Neighbourhood Plan is in the process of being created (Image: ©Archant)

Residents can visit the Gordon Barrett Memorial Hall in Clubbs Lane on Friday and Saturday (October 1-2) to find out about and comment on the current proposals.

If adopted, the final document will compliment the wider local plan by guiding development in the area for the next two decades.

Peter Rainsford, a town councillor and member of the neighbourhood plan working party, admitted the process thus far has not been without its challenges.

Wells town councillor Peter Rainsford (Image: Archant)

"Typically, if you set about writing a neighbourhood plan, you would have lots of sessions to talk to your community," he added.

"We've had to work without those because of Covid, but it is not a desperate situation because we're all very close in Wells and we are well aware of the main streams of opinion."

He added: "All we can do is add another layer of Wells specificity to the local plan.

The beach at Wells (Image: Archant)

"That's not to belittle the neighbourhood plan, because it can play a really important role. It gives us a chance to enshrine a few extra things."

A key aspect of the neighbourhood plan will doubtless be tourism.

While its economic importance to the town is universally accepted, Mr Rainsford emphasised that something needed to change.

A picturesque scene in Wells (Image: Archant)

"I am very aware of the visitor economy and how that works, but it is very clear to me that it places an unreasonable burden on the residential amenities of this town," he added.

"That should not be happening, so we must find ways to assist Wells and its townsfolk to get to a good place."

The neighbourhood plan will eventually be adopted if it is adopted at referendum by the people of Wells.

Wells residents are being invited to have their say on the emerging neighbourhood plan (Image: Archant)

Local people of all ages are therefore being urged to contribute.

Details for the drop-in sessions are as follows:

• Friday, October 1: 5-8pm

• Saturday, October 2: 10am - 3pm

For support with transport, call Wells Community Hub on 01328 711996.

To comment online, visit wellstc.norfolkparishes.gov.uk/np/.

People enjoy the view of the harbour in Wells (Image: ©Archant)