Hunstanton Town Council has welcomed a bid to breathe new life into the resort's southern seafront.

Design guru Wayne Hemingway has been appointed to draw up a masterplan for the prom.

It will revisit a blueprint drawn up 10 years ago, which included a viewing platform at the Pier Entertainments building, new restaurants and cafes and a marine lake.

Mr Hemingway's company carries out extensive community consultation to find how people want their living and leisure spaces re-shaped.

Hunstanton mayor Amanda Bosworth said: 'I haven't yet met Mr Hemingway but I am delighted to hear that his focus is on community involvement.

'This ties in perfectly with the philosophy of Hunstanton Town Council and we would be more than happy to work with HemingwayDesign to ensure that the views of local residents are considered in drawing up a plan for the southern seafront - after all, who better to ask what the town needs than those who have chosen to spend their lives here?'

Brian Hallard, who runs the Princess Theatre in partnership with businessman Paul Searle, said: 'The most complaints, when people talk to us in the theatre, is toilet facilities, not enough of them, the A149 coming in and car parking.

'My own gripe is why can't Hunstanton Town Council charge for parking on the cliff top road like every other local council in the country does.

'You could be collecting £4,000 - £5,000 a week. It would pay for someone to collect the money and what's left could go to the town and pay for more Christmas lights and things like that, which would help bring people in.' The southern seafront, which stretches from Hunstanton Green to the outskirts of Heacham, acts as a sea defence for low-lying areas of the town.

Behind it lies a sprawl of amusements, fairground rides and one of the resort's best-known attractions, the Sea Life Sanctuary.

West Norfolk council, says the aim of the masterplan is to create 'a vibrant seafront which is able to cater for residents, attract visitors, and has strong links to the town centre'. It hopes it will help create new homes and jobs.