King's Lynn and Swaffham high street funding boost

Lynn and Swaffham are to share more than £1 million of funding which is intended to help give their high streets a new lease of life.

Lynn’s high street has been allocated £800,000 while Swaffham will receive £380,000 to help them recover from declining footfall and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The £95 million government-funded High Streets Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) programme, which is delivered by Historic England, will unlock the potential of these high streets, fuelling economic, social and cultural recovery.

The lead partners for the schemes (mostly local authorities) are working with Historic England to develop and deliver schemes that will transform and restore disused and dilapidated buildings into new homes, shops, work places and community spaces.

The HSHAZ initiative is funded with £40 million from the Department for Digital, Culture Media and Sport’s Heritage High Street Fund and £52 million from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s Future High Street Fund.

A further £3 million will be provided by the National Lottery Heritage Fund to support a cultural programme.

Culture secretary Oliver Dowden said: "High streets sit at the heart of our communities and every part of the country deserves to have one they can be proud of.

"This fund will help breathe new life into high streets in towns and cities across the country - restoring them to their full glory so that they are beautiful places for people to shop, work and enjoy."

High Streets Minister Kelly Tolhurst MP added: "Our high streets are the beating heart of our communities and, now more than ever, have a crucial role to play in helping our towns and cities to recover from the pandemic.

"This new funding will help to transform and restore historic buildings, creating new homes, shops and community spaces, and reinvigorating local high streets up and down the country."

It comes after borough councillors raised fears over empty buildings on Lynn's high street during a full council meeting earlier this month.