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BBC News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Historic King's Lynn theatre to get £30.5m refurbishment
A £30.5m project to redevelop the UK's oldest working theatre into an international visitor attraction has been stage at St George's Guildhall in King's Lynn is thought to have once hosted Shakespeare Norfolk councillors voted by 35 votes to 12 to approve plans to preserve the venue and develop surrounding medieval buildings and opponents were worried the authority may have to fill a £16.8m funding shortfall, with one describing the project as "high risk". The plans, which include a museum and educational space, were voted on by West Norfolk Council's cabinet leader Simon Ring, a member of the Independent Partnership group, said the project was "about the soul of our town".He said: "The Guildhall is not a project. It is a responsibility." His speech was peppered with quotes from Shakespeare's plays and was applauded by members of the public. Independent councillor Alun Ryves criticised the "callous way" the scheme was being presented. He said: "It fails to offer value for money. It is very, very high risk plan."Ryves said he had calculated the project would cost each resident in the borough £ councillor Richard Coates said he voted against the project because of the funding gap. Coates added: "I've never heard of a major capital project which hasn't ballooned in terms of time and costs. "There is no reason to think this one will be different." Labour councillor Deborah Hennigan said she had struggled to make a decision. "I have huge concerns about the level of spending. "This represents the biggest spending decision this council will ever take."But she said, on balance, she would vote for the scheme. Green Party councillor Michael de Whalley voted for the said the process to get to this point had been "tortuous", but he praised the green credentials of the new building, which will include a heat pump and solar panels. Reform group leader Julian Kirk said he too was worried about the cost and voted against the project. Sharon Fox runs King's Lynn Young Players, who are already involved with the Guildhall renovation project. She said: "We're already reaping the rewards of working closely with the project to provide us with space and opportunities, so for me it is really a light in the future of King's Lynn." Leslie Judd, trustee of the King's Lynn Players, said he went to the council meeting to show his support for the renovation. "We are so thrilled that the result is how we would want it to be because we work with the children and the children are the future of theatre," he said. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Daily Mail
04-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Council faces £100,000 tax bill as its ban on second home owners makes its new flats in multi-million-pound seafront development unsellable
A council faces a £100k tax bill after its ban on second home owners left it unable to find a single buyer for a new multi-million-pound seafront development. Bosses have been forced to lift the restriction on the flats in Hunstanton which were intended to go on the market - for local people only - in December 2023. But the 'embarrassing' failure to shift a single one of the 32 apartments has forced West Norfolk Council to lift its restriction on selling accommodation to people whose principal homes are elsewhere. The block of flats - called Styleman Court - were built by the council and part-funded by Homes England. But as the coalition-led authority has failed to secure a single buyer it risks blowing a further hole in its finances if the disused accommodation triggers its own empty homes premium. It is understood the council would be liable to pay a double tax bill close to £100,000 for the empty properties. If buyers are not found by February 2026, the empty homes premium will come into full force. Fearful officials subsequently lifted the ban on second home owners in a behind-closed-doors meeting last month. The Local Democracy Service reported Simon Ring, deputy leader of the council, said: 'If the properties are still empty in a year's time, we will suffer the empty homes tax, which will be like being hoisted by our own petard.' Leaders have been said to show reluctance towards offering mortgages on the seaside flats as they fear it would make them unsellable in the future due to buying restrictions. Confidential papers seen by the Local Democracy Service state removing the conditions would boost the value of each by an average of £39,500. A spokesman for the council said: 'The restriction was introduced to ensure that people who bought the homes lived in them. However, this had the unintended consequence of making it harder for local people to buy the flats because it affected mortgage availability. 'While accepting that it also means people can buy the flats as holiday homes, the removal of the restriction is primarily intended to make it easier for local people to purchase them.' Independent councillor, Paul Beal, told The Telegraph: 'It's a lesson that's been learnt and a mistake can't happen again. The flats are built on a car park ... No one wants to live there full time. 'But as a holiday home destination, I think it would be fantastic. It's half a minute from the beach and you're two minutes from the town. 'Hunstanton was built for tourism, it is purely a tourist town and that's the way it has to be. It's our biggest industry so we should embrace it.' Another councillor said the failure to secure a single buyer after 19 months was 'embarrassing'. It comes as construction costs for the project have gone almost £2m over budget - believed to be the result of delays and the rising cost of materials. The council did not comment further on the figure on account of it being published in a private report. Six of the apartments are due to be kept by the council to be used as social housing. The rest are scheduled to go back on the market without the ban on second home ownership.
Telegraph
04-07-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Council faces £100k tax bill after ban on second home owners backfires
A council has been forced to reverse its ban on second home owners after failing to find a single buyer for a multi-million seafront development. Red-faced bosses at West Norfolk Council have lifted the restriction on a £7m block of flats in a desperate bid to prevent the council becoming liable for its own empty homes premium. The flats in Hunstanton – built by the council in a project part-funded by Homes England – were intended to only be sold to locals after being put on the market in December 2023. But the coalition-led authority has failed to secure a single buyer for the 32 homes in an 'embarrassing' failure, which risks blowing a further hole in its finances. The block of flats – called Styleman Court – is in danger of triggering the council's own empty homes premium. It is thought the double tax bill the council will have to pay itself for the empty properties would be close to £100k. Fearful of becoming a victim of its own penalty, councillors agreed to lift the ban on selling the flats to people whose principal homes are elsewhere in a behind-closed-doors meeting last month. If buyers are not found, the empty homes premium will kick in from February 2026. The Local Democracy Service reported that Simon Ring, deputy leader of the council, said: 'If the properties are still empty in a year's time, we will suffer the empty homes tax, which will be like being hoisted by our own petard.' Lenders have reportedly been reluctant to offer mortgages on the seaside flats amid fears they would be unsellable in the future as a result of the buying restrictions. Confidential papers seen by the Local Democracy Service state that removing the conditions will boost the value of each flat by an average of £39,500. A spokesman for the council said: 'The restriction was introduced to ensure that people who bought the homes lived in them. However, this had the unintended consequence of making it harder for local people to buy the flats because it affected mortgage availability. 'While accepting that it also means people can buy the flats as holiday homes, the removal of the restriction is primarily intended to make it easier for local people to purchase them.' 'No one wants to permanently live there' Independent councillor, Paul Beal, told The Telegraph: 'It's a lesson that's been learnt and a mistake can't happen again. The flats are built on a car park ... No one wants to live there full time. 'But as a holiday home destination, I think it would be fantastic. It's half a minute from the beach and you're two minutes from the town. 'Hunstanton was built for tourism, it is purely a tourist town and that's the way it has to be. It's our biggest industry so we should embrace it.' Another councillor said the failure to secure a single buyer after 19 months was 'embarrassing'. It is thought that construction costs for the project have gone almost £2m over budget due to delays and rising prices of materials. The council refused to comment further on this figure due to it being published in a private report. The flats are due to go back on the market without the ban on second home ownership. Six of the apartments are due to be kept by the council to be used as social housing.
BBC News
03-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Anger after King's Lynn road improvement plan stalls
A "once-in-a-generation" scheme to revitalise the entrance to a historic town has stalled after funding for road improvements was Ring, deputy leader of West Norfolk Council, said he was "deeply disappointed" that improvements to King's Lynn's Southgates junction had been said it risked hampering efforts to enhance the area, known for its medieval gateway and which has severe traffic County Council said the project had been scrapped after the price tag rose to £32m. The decision means £10m in funding intended for west Norfolk will be returned to the Department for a revised £19.6m scheme will go ahead to improve the one-way system around Austin Street, Blackfriars Road and Railway an Independent, said: "This decision risks stalling progress on a transformational project that is vital to the future of our town and wider community."This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to revitalise the area, enhance infrastructure and deliver long-term economic and social benefits for both residents and businesses."We will explore every available route to deliver the Southgate Master Plan and ensure that this iconic gateway to King's Lynn receives the attention and regeneration it so clearly deserves." This article was written by a trusted journalist and then edited for length and style with the help of AI, before being checked again by a BBC Journalist. It's part of a pilot. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
