A historic port with centuries of maritime heritage is on course for a brighter future.

King's Lynn has been awarded £25m in government funding to pay for a wish-list of projects which will transform the town over the next few years.

They include a facelift for the Great Ouse waterfront and its brownfield sites.

The long-awaited renovation of the Guildhall of St George, the last surviving theatre in the world where Shakespeare performed, is also back on the agenda after previous bids for lottery funding were turned down.

There will be more opportunities for young people in a town where attainment and wages are below average.

There will also be a new school of nursing at the College of West Anglia, which will train staff for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. It is hoped the hospital, meanwhile, will secure the funding for the revamp it so clearly needs. We will continue to campaign hard for this.

Empty shops will be brought back into use and hundreds of new homes will be created in the town centre.

There will also be a new community hub in a former store, a creative hub and a new centre for start-up businesses.

A new one way system will help free up the some of the town's worst traffic bottlenecks, while new walking and cycling routes will encourage more to leave their cars at home.

In this special focus, we'll be taking a detailed look at the changes. Exactly what's proposed, when is it likely to unfold - and how will it make a difference to how people live, work and play in the town.

Our reporters will also be looking at some of the challenges Lynn faces as it gears up for the 21st Century. They range from the state of its crumbling hospital to finding new uses for vacant properties which will attract people back into the town centre.

Lynn has much to be proud of in its past. Now it's time to look ahead with optimism.