A 'proper' Norfolk phrase is giving one of the county's heartland towns a boost as it seeks to nail down a plan that will help it to thrive.

'I Proper Love Aylsham' is the catchphrase and logo that town leaders hope will stick as the community draws up a neighbourhood plan.

Now the town's residents are being urged to back the initiative and make their views known by attending some public events that will shape the Broadland town's future size and facilities.

Town clerk Mo Anderson-Dungar said: 'The neighbourhood plan is not a mechanism to stop development. We have a minimum of 300 new house earmarked in the joint core strategy.

'But it's an opportunity for the community to have a say in how the development happens. If it's successful, the plan will be adopted by Broadland District Council and be a material consideration in planning applications.

'It's important that the community gets on board because they can have a say on the pace, design and density of development.'

Three days of events - called 'I Proper Love Aylsham' - begin on July 9 at 7pm in the town hall when the Prince's Foundation will explain how the neighbourhood plan works.

Mrs Anderson-Dungar said: 'It's a golden opportunity for people to come along and have their say. If you do proper love your town, come and be part of this.'

On July 10 from 9am-6pm there is an invitees-only technical workshop at the town hall, and on July 11 at 7pm at the same venue the Prince's Foundation will present to the community its early findings from the exercise.

Mrs Anderson-Dungar said: 'This should give us the springboard to develop a questionnaire which we can send to all households and hopefully put online.'

She said the questionnaire findings would be presented to the community at another event later this year, before a draft plan would be drawn up and a referendum organised.

Last summer, Aylsham was chosen as a front-runner parish to produce the neighbourhood plan, led by the town council.

It includes town councillors, the town clerk, members of Aylsham Business and Enterprise Forum and Giles Margarson from Aylsham Community Partnership.

The work began with a stall at last year's carnival, with members of the public asked for their views. The most common responses were that the town needs a petrol filling station.

The plan has been boosted recently by a �10,300 grant from Broadland. And the Commission for Architecture and the built Environment (Cabe) and the Prince's Foundation have been offering their expertise.