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Historic £47m development will spearhead the transformation of Wisbech and the Fens

The ambitious plans to regenerate the Nene Waterfront area of the town have been enabled by £10m of public funding from a unique partnership between Fenland District Council, East of England Development Agency (EEDA), English Partnerships and the European Objective 2 Programme (Go-East), with support from Cambridgeshire County Council.The Council, European Objective 2 and the County Council had already committed £4m to the project and now a further £6m is committed by EEDA and English Partnership.The £10m pump-priming money will be used to purchase and clean up sites for development as well as provide infrastructure and access improvements to prepare sites for the private sector to invest a further £37m to provide housing and retail facilities.The pump-priming money will also be used to develop business units and a multi-use facility as well as commercial marine facilities and additional mooring pontoons.

The partnership has put in place a team of experts in urban regeneration under project managers, MACE, who have a wealth of experience in this field across the country. They are backed up by Tibbalds as Urban designers, Campbell Reith as engineers, Bidwells and Savills as property advisers and Trowers & Hamlin as legal advisors.The project will transform Wisbech as a place to live, work and visit. Work has already been completed on the design of the yacht harbour extension and contracts for the work will be let in the coming weeks. Design works are also progressing developing the marine infrastructure, including a new wet dock and boat lift-out facilities. 

Work on these is expected to be completed in time for next season.Discussions are also taking place with landowners to acquire derelict sites and subsequently to clean them up in order to attract a development partner to build the mixed use development.One of the first projects scheduled for completion is the Foyer scheme on North Street next to Freedom Bridge. The partnership has recently agreed to the sale of vacant riverside site to Axiom Housing Association to erect a landmark building on the site as a residential and training facility for young people in the area.This building will provide a public café as well as residential and educational accommodation for up to 17 people. It is based on a model that has proved successful in France and in several places in Britain.The Foyer will occupy the north half of the site, the remainder will be redeveloped for new housing and some retail accommodation. 

A dramatic cycle and pedestrian bridge is also planned for the area, linking the Nene Quay near School Lane and Hill Street to the old market area to improve traffic free links with the town centre.North of Freedom Bridge there will be dramatic changes too.The area will transform the links between existing housing in the Mount Pleasant area and the town centre. Nene Parade will be closed to traffic and it will form the nucleus of a new pedestrianised area along the river overlooking the expanded yacht harbour and the park on the west bank which will be made more attractive with improved landscaping, public art and a heritage trail.The land on the east bank, bounded by the police station, De Havilland Road, Nene Parade and Silver Street will be redeveloped with more than 300 new homes, retail, restaurants, offices and workspaces to create additional jobs. 

With the support of English Partnership, a sustainable new urban quarter will be created to the highest standards of design and construction. To facilitate this development, improvement to the local highway network are included, creating upgraded traffic, pedestrian and cycling measures.It is intended that in addition to the Foyer project, the new Harbour Square adjoining Silver Street will provide community training and conference space for local organisations, school visits to the port and local businesses. This space and the adjoining new port offices will provide the core of a linked complex of employment, leisure facilities including offices and workspace and a yacht club fronting on to the new square with restaurants and shops, too. 

The leisure port will play an important part in the creation of new employment and the aim is to provide back-up maintenance and repair facilities, including a new boat lift, to support the current moorings and to attract more boat owners and the economic benefits that they bring.It is also intended to provide maintenance and inspection facilities for commercial vessels up to 100 tonnes, which means that for the first time, fishing boats from Wisbech and Kings Lynn and beyond will not have to travel to the Humber or Lowestoft for their annual inspections.The balanced and sustainable development plan also has more visionary elements and over the coming months the project management team will be looking at the practicalities of a range of ideas from water turbines in the river to combined heat and power schemes and public art. 

Councillor Geoffrey Harper, Leader of the Council, said: “This is an imaginative and comprehensive regeneration of Wisbech that will have far-reaching benefits for the whole of Fenland. It will put Wisbech on the map as a major tourist centre and it will generate jobs and a real buzz.” 

David Marlow, chief executive of EEDA: "This development is the result of multi million pound public sector partnership which will transform the town and have a significant impact on the lives of its residents. The project will increase jobs, bring high quality housing, and will encourage more private sector investment into Wisbech to ensure future growth is sustainable and for the benefit of the community." 

David Morrall, Director (Europe) at Go East, said: "European funding has played a major role in making this partnership a success. In the coming years it will transform the future of Wisbech and put the Fens on the map as an area that will attract further investment and development." 

Dennis Hone, English Partnerships Regional Director for Eastern England said: "English Partnerships is delighted to be one of the key partners helping to bring about a step-change in the regeneration of the centre of Wisbech by using underutilised brownfield sites to create high quality sustainable development."