Wayne Hemingway to lead bid to make Thetford 'the best it can be'

Breckland Council wants people's views as it looks to regenerate Thetford

Wayne Hemingway is to lead a "bold and innovative" bid to regenerate the former capital of East Anglia.

Breckland Council has commissioned the designer's firm to help "shape the future" of Thetford, Norfolk.

Hemingway has been involved in similar regeneration projects in London, York, Crewe, and Margate in Kent.

Thetford Business Forum said it wanted to see "physical" changes to attract people to the town, not money spent just on consultancy.

Valerie Watson-Brown, from the business forum, said the town had all the ingredients to be successful but needed investment put into it in the "right way".

She said: "It's a beautiful place, the history behind the town is phenomenal, and there are some wonderful visitor attractions, with the museums and river walks.

"We just need people to come off the A11 and stop here, rather go past on the way to Norwich or Cambridge."

She said nearby Bury St Edmunds was the "model" and money should not be spent only on consultancy and branding, but "physical evidence" such as signs on the A11 signposting Thetford as a historic town.

Designer Wayne Hemingway has been involved in other urban regeneration projects

The council said a team from Hemingway Design had already toured the town centre, visited local housing estates and reviewed local attractions and amenities.

It will next host consultations and workshops with residents, community groups, businesses, charities, and sports associations.

Thetford was the capital of East Anglia in Saxon times

It was also where Queen Boudicca based herself and put together her battle plan

Sam Chapman-Allen, leader of the Conservative-run authority, said: "For over 1,000 years Thetford has been reinventing itself.

"The town has now grown into a modern town with a diverse and strong multicultural community and a mixture of local and multinational businesses.

"We want to drive the further transformation and innovation of the town and I invite all of the community and local organisations to get involved in building a Thetford where everyone can thrive and prosper."

'A prosperous place'

• Thetford was the base of Iceni tribe leader Queen Boudicca and where she put together her battle plan

• In Saxon times, it was the capital of East Anglia

• At the time, it was a prosperous place to live and led to it having its own mint in the 10th Century

• It was ranked one of the country's biggest towns at the time of the Domesday survey

• It became a manufacturing centre for Charles Burrell's steam traction engines in the 1800s

• English-American political activist Thomas Paine was born there

• The BBC sitcom Dad's Army, which ran from 1968 to 1977, was filmed in and around Thetford

Source: Take a Tour of Thetford's History

Hemingway's other projects have seen him revive the Dreamland theme park in Margate, Kent and be involved in the rebrand of Shrewsbury's Flaxmill Maltings.

He redesigned Hillington Square in King's Lynn, Norfolk, which King's Lynn Borough Conservative councillor Lesley Bambridge said was "very successful".

Hemingway's company, which was launched after his Red or Dead fashion label was sold, is also involved in the regeneration of the East Point Pavilion in Lowestoft, Suffolk.

BBC sitcom Dad's Army was filmed in and around Thetford

Hemingway, who also helped organised the First Light Festival, said: "We all want Thetford to be the best town it can be, but in order to get there we first have to define what success looks like.

"Insights from the local community are essential in understanding this so we're asking local residents, businesses and visitors to share their views."