RICHARD BATSON New Year roadworks at Cromer will signal the last piece of a regeneration jigsaw around the resort's streets.

RICHARD BATSON

New year roadworks at Cromer will signal the last piece of a regeneration jigsaw around the resort's streets.

But the town is continuing to plan for the future, with the action centred on its new training and community building.

On January 8, a six-week scheme costing £33,800 will see the taxi-only, pedestrian-priority road resurfaced and paths rebuilt in New Street.

The work, between Prince of Wales Road and Garden Street, is a leftover from a £300,000 makeover of town centre streets which was part of an £11m regeneration programme that also improved the pier and seafront.

The short stretch was left undone when the pool of money, including European grants, ran out, but Norfolk County Council has always promised to finish it when the budget allowed.

It is now poised to happen, and Peter Stibbons, chairman of the Cromer Past Present and Future (PPF) group which is carrying on where regeneration left off, said he was pleased the street works would now be rounded off.

There were other ripples in the wake of regeneration, with building improvements at the Melbourne Hotel and Hotel de Paris also being completed - using money which was earlier earmarked for reintroducing iron railings around the church, but dropped due to lack of public backing.

Other projects still coming through were heritage lecterns to give visitors historical information about certain parts of the town, such as the Gangway and seafront, as well as improved visitor signage and maps in car parks.

Merchants Place, the skills and community centre at the top of the Gangway opened this year, continued to be popular, but the PPF group would be working hard in the coming year to secure another five years' funding for the venture.

Mr Stibbons said he was pleased with the number of people - 1,500 a month - using the centre for IT courses.

Any local youth groups wanting to use them should contact John Morgan or Cat Plewman through the centre on 01263 519454 or visit the website www.cromercentre.co.uk