Dereham’s Market Place is the town’s historic heart, but many residents and community groups have said it should be reorganised.
Reporter Noah Vickers asked people how they thought the centre should be re-worked.
Sally Lansdale, 57, who is retired and lives in Dereham, said: “It’s totally different from when I was a little girl.”
“Landlords should give the shops they own a facelift - some paint, just to spruce it all up,” she said.
Darren Sample, 55, a gas service engineer who lives in North Tuddenham said: “I’d like to see much more greenery in the town centre. It’s lacking in trees. Hard paved areas could be softened up with trees and shrubs - it would look so much nicer.
“We’ve got to do something for the high street, because it’s dying,” he said.
Alan Curston, 31, a carpenter who lives in the town, said of his young family: “If we’re going to go shopping, we’d tend to drive to Norwich, because you’ve got everything in a very close proximity [there].
“Having a bigger variety of shops would make Dereham more appealing. There are some good shops down on Wright’s Walk, but they’re all shutting down left, right and centre - it’s a difficult time.”
Krystal Richardson, 35, a teaching assistant who lives in the town, said: “There’s nothing in town really for children. There’s the [Level Up] gaming cafe, and I wish that would get more support.
“There’s not many family restaurants either. There are a lot of takeaways, but there isn’t really anywhere to go as a family, we’ve found."
Ian Powell, 28, who also lives in Dereham, said: “There are a lot of things that could be changed.
“Put the market back where it was, behind Iceland, and put the bus stops where the market is [currently]."
Barry Wilson, 70, a retired bus driver who lives in the town said: “We need a proper bus station area. By rush hour, you’ve got three or four buses parked in that bus stop.”
“Some people like to park here [on the Market Place], but they’re not thinking about the overall impact on everyone else."
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