No parking, pedestrianisation and a water feature are all set for Wisbech Market Place as £200,000 scheme gets go-ahead

Wisbech Town Council is today (Thursday) celebrating after winning £150,000 of match-funding for an innovative scheme to make the town's Market Place a more 'inviting and welcoming place.

Cambridgeshire County Council's communities and partnerships committee agreed to give the council the cash which will come from the £5million Cambridgeshire Communities Capital Fund, which was launched in April to help support projects across the county.

Wisbech Town Council have pledged £50,000 of its money to regenerate and revitalise the Market Place, with a scheme that will not only see car parking banished but also the introduction of a pedestrianised zone operating between 7am and 4pm each day.

There will also be works to such as new seating, waste bins, re-paving and a decorative water feature, plus a feature to attract the public to want to spend time in that space.

A press release from the town council explained the bid criteria was to assist in addressing issues with a specific priority for the community, to address inequality of access to services or activities and to implement community involvement in delivery or design of the project.

Wisbech Town Council leader Councillor Samantha Hoy, said welcomed news of the bid's success and paid tribute to fellow Councillor Andrew Lynn who as chairman of the market place committee together with town clerk, Terry Jordan, has worked to come up with a scheme.

She said: "They have worked incredibly hard to ensure the market place renovation planning was creative, thoroughly thought out and allow customers, traders and businesses to all benefit. The only stumbling block has been access to funding which winning this bid had now addressed."

The council's press statement said Cambridgeshire Communities Capital Fund recognised the project seeks to both improve the appearance of Wisbech Market Place and introduce new and improved facilities which will enhance its use as both a trading area and a community space.

One of the key aspects to this project is to develop a pedestrianised zone (operating between 7am and 4pm within the Market Place area and, secondly, to prohibit car parking on the Market Place and to undertake physical works such as new seating.

The town council added: "By bringing people together, whether it be for retail activity or community activity, the Market Place plays an important role in improving community cohesion/integration and people’s wellbeing and mental health.

"Making Wisbech Market Place a more inviting and welcoming place for people to spend time will bring many benefits to the community."

Councillor Lynn concluded: “This vision is going to become a reality now, and with confirmation of this additional funding to make the project possible, the town council cannot wait to crack on with the work. Our next step will be to have further meetings with the civil engineers to finalise all of the the designs and obtain quotations to carry out the project."