The friendliness and warm welcome are what makes Downham Market special.
A few of the happy faces you might meet in Downham (from left) Cllr Jenny Groom, Amanda and Simon Prior, Louis Barker, Nina Narramore from The Norfolk Cheese Company, Sarah Cox and Jamie McGuffog from Beds of Paradise)
The Opportunities Downham Market consultation, which saw over 400 people give their views, also discovered that the town’s status as a market town is considered important. The survey took place earlier this summer and invited views from the public on Downham Market to help to shape future plans for the town.
The survey took place earlier this summer and invited views from the public on Downham Market to help to shape future plans for the town.
In addition, the study found:
- Food shopping, hospitality, and personal care – such as visits to the hairdresser – are the top reasons why people are coming into the town;
- The main places people are visiting are the market (20 per cent), supermarkets, and restaurants and cafes;
- Respondents to the survey said that they would like to see a greater vibrancy and variety in the town, including a better choice of retail outlets, an expanded, improved market, and more of a café culture;
- People also shared a range of words to describe Downham Market which included positive terms such as friendly, pretty, and quaint as well as more negative words such as boring and dated, suggesting there is scope for improvements.
he survey findings come as the new Opportunities Downham Market Partnership is launched. The partnership, made up of representatives from the town and borough councils as well as local businesses and organisations, has been set up to work collaboratively for the town.
The partnership is an independent forum for coming up with plans, ideas, and improvements for Downham Market. It aims to make a difference for the town and will seek to attract funding and involve residents in making Downham Market an even better place to live, visit, and work.
The Opportunities Downham Market Partnership is not a decision-making group – it will feed into the town council – but it will be a catalyst for improvement by bringing together different people to shape the future of the town.
The partnership met for the first time this week and further meetings are planned; the group will shortly be reviewing the findings of the survey.