A podcasting and gaming centre could be built on the site of a Norfolk town’s office block to boost the community’s economic growth, a group of consultants has suggested.
A plan setting out how Watton could develop over the coming years suggests that the vacant Wayland House building, on the town’s high street, could be demolished to make space for a new ‘digital creative media centre’.
The fresh facility - described in the document as ‘state of the art’ - would include a training space for people to learn how to code, podcast studios, a gaming event cinema, an incubator space for businesses in creative and digital media, and a café.
The idea is outlined in the Watton section of the ‘Future Breckland’ project - a district council scheme which has hired consultants to draw up long-term ideas aimed at improving the area’s five market towns.
The proposed digital creative media centre is a relatively recent addition to the finalised Watton plan, having not featured in an earlier draft of the document released in March.
The consultants estimate that the project could take anywhere between two and ten years to be designed, win planning permission and be built and opened.
They add that it would cost around £8-10m and they suggest that the council tries to seek money from the government’s Levelling Up Fund to help pay for the project, if they decide to proceed with it.
But the document states that the project would bring long-term economic benefits to the town, allowing Watton’s local economy to grow and diversify thanks to the new business space it would provide, as well as encourage young people to continue training in Watton rather than relocating.
The consultants warn that the town is not currently “meeting its potential and needs investment”.
“Challenges range from a lack of local identity to poor public transport connectivity and a lack of accessible green space,” they said.
To address some of these issues, the document also proposes repurposing the former railway line to Swaffham as a walking and cycling route, as well as regenerating the area around Loch Neaton and enhancing the town centre.
Breckland Council’s cabinet will discuss the various town plans at a meeting at Swaffham Town Hall at 9.30am on Monday, November 21.
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