Master plan for town has a wish-list for Wisbech that includes better use of the port and creation of a country park

Trams, re-opening historical tunnels and more ships going into the port are all part of a new master plan for Wisbech.

Cambridgeshire Combined Authorities have spent £50,000 on a report which suggests a range of changes for Wisbech as part of the Growing Fenland initiative.

Wisbech Town Council learned more about the master plan and supported it during their meeting on Monday.

However, it will also need the backing of Fenland District Council and Cambridgeshire County Council before the Combined Authorities could look at applying for funding for some of these proposals.

During the presentation, Council Leader Sam Hoy told members that the master plan looked at long-term and quick fixes to the issues facing the town.

Dualling the A47 and bringing back a railway station to the town were on the wish list, but this could take up to 20 years.

Coun Hoy said: “They are talking about a shuttle bus service to support people getting to March more frequently and to Peterborough.

“They are also saying that they could connect Wisbech to the metro but the long-term solution is dualling the A47.”

Another part of the proposal is a town centre improvement plan which could include something on food to reflect the area’s agricultural association, improving wi-fi and encouraging night life.

The creation of a country park is another idea within the report to encourage more people to be healthy, along with a workplace healthy award scheme.

Promoting Wisbech’s heritage is another part of the master plan, with the suggestion of creating a cultural quarter around the museum.

Coun Hoy said: “There are so many things that Wisbech has got but people do not know about.

“One of the ideas of the cultural quarter is to re-open the tunnels. We need to make more of our tourist attractions.”

The commercialisation of Wisbech Port was another key point within the master plan.

Coun Hoy said: “We can only have a certain tonnage of ships due to the turning bay, so they are looking at that.”

Coun Nick Meekins said he had visited Boston recently to look at the barrage barrier installed which does not stop ships from coming in.

While Coun David Patrick asked if it was worth doing the Wisbech Port commercialisation as coastal industries were dying.