A REPORT which marks the start of a “new and progressive journey” for Malton and Norton has been published.
Malton and Norton Area Partnership (MNAP) has put together the findings from a Towns Ahead meeting held at the Milton Rooms in June.
Key points include ensuring sufficient schools and healthcare provision for a growing population along with the need for an additional doctors’ surgery.
Comments were also made on using the River Derwent to interlink Malton and Norton along with a new bridge or link road and redeveloping the riverside for leisure and business.
“Quick win” potentials include reducing litter, redeveloping the area’s Roman heritage for visitors and reducing the number of large and inappropriate road signs.
About 70 people attended the Towns Ahead meeting which was organised to gain a better understanding of what improvements residents want to see over the next 10 years.
The top eight findings in the report are:
l Use the River Derwent to inter-link Malton and Norton more closely
l The need for a new bridge
and/or a link road across the railway and river
l Removal of the Taylor and Brown building and to redevelop the riverside for leisure and business
l Develop and modernise the landmark community complex of the Milton Rooms and Assembly Rooms at Malton
l Ensure sufficient health care provision to meet the growing population in the towns
l An additional doctors’ surgery possible at Malton Hospital
l School accommodation improvements
l Attract a key hotel group to the towns, such as Premier Inns.
David Lloyd-Williams, chairman of MNAP, and a Malton and Norton town councillor, said working parties has been set up to identify the various projects and make suggestions as to how best they might be addressed with a further meeting scheduled for the end of September.
Cllr Lloyd-Williams said: “This report is just the start of a new and progressive ‘journey’, aimed at improving both our community generally, and the targeting of specific areas which have emerged from the discussions.
‘I think that the findings from a good cross section of the community indicate that there are many useful projects to progress in order to improve the two towns. generally and to particularly look towards the river as a long term project to create a better attraction to for both local residents and for visitors.2
He added: “It is only finding out what people want and expect that we can work together for the benefit of the community. Democracy and people working in harmony can achieve a great deal and I feel a new chapter for our community has been started.”