Landscape architecture practice Influence Landscape Planning and Design is celebrating the completion of North Walsham Market Place – its second High Street Heritage Action Zone project.

As part of North Walsham High Street Heritage Action Zone, the completed works have been delivered to improve the balance between pedestrians and vehicles in the North Norfolk town and enable it to embrace its heritage and community. 

Nottinghamshire-based Influence were the public realm lead consultant, project manager and designer of the scheme, which was funded by North Norfolk District Council, Historic England and the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership.

The three funding organisations made a collective investment of £2.6m in the placemaking scheme, out of the overall North Walsham High Street Heritage Action Zone budget of £3.8m.

Having previously worked on the urban planning and design of Kettering High Street Heritage Action Zone in 2022, North Walsham is the second High Street Heritage Action Zone Influence have worked on.

In North Walsham, the objective of the works was to regenerate the Market Place, situated within the town’s Conservation Area, to rejuvenate the High Street and increase pedestrian footfall and dwell time.

In addition, a wider investment in the North Norfolk town has delivered a new travel hub, new toilet facilities, new benches, the planting of trees and plants and remedial works to some buildings.

Norfolk County Council managed the placemaking works of the project and Tarmac, a sustainable building materials and construction solutions business, carried out the majority of the construction works.

The completion of the North Walsham High Street Heritage Action Zone was marked last week with an event involving representatives from construction partners, Historic England, North Norfolk District Council and New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership.

The event involved a tour of the revamped Market Place and other nearby improvements and included speeches from Tony Calladine, East of England Regional Director for Historic England, North Norfolk District Council Chief Executive Steve Blatch and Chris Starkie, CEO of New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, followed by a performance from The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and North Walsham High School.

Chartered practice Influence provides expertise in project management, environmental planning, feasibility and concept development, master planning and urban design, landscape design, visual impact assessment, expert witness and arboriculture.

Shona Hatton, associate director at Influence, said: “High Street Heritage Action Zones are such a key part of the future for our towns – especially post the pandemic – and are often driven by a strong local community interest. Revitalising and regenerating our high streets whilst reinstating the heritage roots is critical to their success, now and in the future. 

“North Walsham is a vibrant market town but has been waiting for a long time to bring forward a high street public realm project. The Influence team and I were honoured to have been selected to work on this important project, and are pleased to have supported North Norfolk District Council’s in-house team in its delivery.

“The opening celebration on 11 May demonstrated how public realm improvements can kick start wider renewal of Conservation Areas and The Shambles terraced gardens are an excellent example of how revealing heritage can transform disregarded spaces into places with unique character.

“Our previous experience in the delivery of High Street Heritage Action Zones gave us specialist knowledge and understanding of the challenges and huge opportunities in our high streets – we have used that experience to great effect to reimagine the physical and social environment of North Walsham, to enable it to be a prosperous town where people want to live, work and relax.”

Tony Calladine, East England Regional Director, Historic England, said: “It’s wonderful to see this remarkable transformation in the town, from the visually welcoming area of Church Approach to the huge undertaking of the Market Place renovations.

“Partnership working with North Norfolk District Council and the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership has led to some remarkable outcomes, and this work continues with exciting projects to revitalise The Cedars and the former Barclays Bank. North Walsham’s historic character shines through and offers an attractive experience for residents and visitors alike.”

Chris Starkie, CEO, New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “North Walsham, like other town centres in our region, serves a substantial hinterland, and making it more pedestrian-friendly and accessible will improve trading conditions and strengthen its economic viability.

“It is crucial that our town and city centres receive the financial support needed in order to thrive, especially after the disruption of recent years, and I’m delighted to see first-hand the enhancements delivered by this project.”

Other members of the North Walsham High Street Heritage Action Zone project team include Gleeds as quantity surveyor, HETA as master planners and consultation, Rees Bolter Architects as heritage consultants and BSP Consulting on highways.

FHP, acting on behalf of a private family, have completed the sale of 38/40 George Street/22a Lower Parliament Street at a price in excess of the quoting price with the help of Russell Thompson of Massers. The 3,900 sq ft property has been in the family for many years and is occupied by DG Cars and a Nail Bar at Ground floor with two floors of offices above, one of which is vacant. The current income is £31,900 pa. David Hargreaves of FHP, who handled the instruction, confirmed a sales price of £425,000 was achieved against the asking price of £400,000, and that from first inspection to completion took just 14 weeks. Hargreaves said: “We targeted our marketing at both investors and developers alike as the property provided not only a well-established income stream but also had opportunities to add value through the conversion of the upper floors to student accommodation or apartments together with scope to add one or two more floors, subject of course to securing the appropriate planning consents.” The vendor said: “We are absolutely delighted with the advice from David and his team at FHP, they did everything they said they would, their deep market knowledge and clever marketing generated a lot of interested parties from day 1 and we achieved a price in excess of our aspirations. “Furthermore the sale was completed a lot quicker than expected – really excellent work by both FHP and Massers.”

Construction is underway for the development of the University of Derby’s new Business School, which will provide a facility for cutting-edge research, learning and teaching, and support businesses in the region and across the globe. The new Business School, which is being built by Kier on land adjacent to the University’s One Friar Gate Square, is projected to be the study base for more than 6,000 students by 2030, supporting the local economy and adding to the vibrancy of the city centre. To mark the progress of the project, a ground-breaking ceremony was held at the site on Friday (9 June), with guests including the University’s Chancellor Lord Burlington DL, academic colleagues, and representatives from Kier and Derby City Council. Professor Kathryn Mitchell CBE DL, vice-chancellor of the University of Derby, said: “This new development is ground-breaking for many reasons. The state-of-the-art facilities will not only enable the University to extend its opportunities to undertake innovative and impactful research, but will also enable staff to deliver experiential learning and teaching through co-location and co-creation with businesses, and will become the front door of the University for the business and wider community. “At Derby, our ethos is on equipping students with the skills and confidence to become gamechangers in their chosen career. As a leading institution for applied research, we recognise the importance of providing relevant activity to industry and the wider world, leading the way in impact from industry engagement. “We look forward to seeing the project develop and continuing to work closely with key stakeholders to drive the new site to completion.” The development, which is proposed to be net zero carbon in construction and operation under the UKGBC’s Net Zero Carbon Buildings Framework, kickstarts the University’s City Masterplan, which aims to develop its footprint in the city and improve connectivity across sites. The new Business School is planned to include facilities such as an auditorium, a stock market financial trading room, a creativity lab, an extended reality (XR) suite and a range of social collaborative study spaces and quiet contemplative areas. Lord Burlington DL, chancellor of the University of Derby and chair of the Business School Council, said: “The new Derby Business School will provide a place that inspires and encourages enterprise and innovation, where students and expert academics can collaborate, network with, learn from, and support local business leaders and entrepreneurs. “This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make a substantial impact on economic development and social mobility in our region. This is one of the reasons why I agreed to chair the Derby Business School Council, which will help shape our strategy to achieve this.” As part of the development, Kier will work with the University, local businesses and supply chain partners to create new jobs and apprenticeship opportunities, 25 work experience placements and two graduate opportunities. Martin Williamson, operations director for Kier in the East Midlands, said: “We are delighted to be working with the University of Derby on this innovative business school in the heart of the city. We will use our extensive experience in the higher education sector to deliver a landmark building that fulfils the University’s ambition to connect students with local businesses and their wider community.”