Locals fear Norfolk town is 'dying on its feet' amid neglect

But while Stalham's boatyards send tourists off on their holiday breaks and beachgoers pass through on their way to the seaside, locals say the town itself is "dying on its feet".

They claim their community has been neglected and is struggling with a declining high street and a rise in crime.

Shops in Stalham's high street (Image: Owen Sennitt)

Resentment boiled over at a recent North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) meeting where the area's councillors claimed the community - once the flourishing centre of Norfolk's weaving industry - had been overlooked for investment.

They accused the authority of ignoring the town, instead pumping money into the more glamorous locations of Cromer, Holt and Sheringham.

Shut-up shops, growing problems with antisocial behaviour and drug dealing, and a lack of opportunities for youngsters are seen as outcomes of this lack of economic support for Stalham, which is considered one of the most deprived areas in the district.

While there remains a strong sense of pride in the place they call home, locals are increasingly concerned about the town's future.

Stalham's high street on a busy day in the summer (Image: Newsquest)

"YOU'D THINK IT WAS DOWNTOWN NEW YORK"

Many in the community are still reeling after a woman in her 60s was attacked in the middle of the high street.

A 15-year-old boy has since been arrested in connection with the incident, in December, but the shockwaves are still reverberating.Stephanie Dove, 30, who grew up in Stalham (Image: Owen Sennitt)

Stephanie Dove, 30, who recently celebrated the birth of a child, said: “There is a growing antisocial behaviour problem which I worry puts people off visiting the high street. 

“When I was younger it had the market, it was a very bustling market town. It is nothing like that now and there isn’t much to keep people here. “

Cars drive along Stalham's high street in the 1970s (Image: Newsquest)

Another local who did not wish to be named said: “The high street is dead on its feet. People are concerned about the drug problem.

"There are people openly dealing in broad daylight. You'd think we were in downtown New York.

"Holidaymakers visiting will take one walk up the high street and smell weed. What message does that send out?”

A quiet day in Stalham's high street (Image: Owen Sennitt)

Police have been stepping up patrols in recent weeks as part of efforts to tackle antisocial and drug-related crime.

Sergeant Toby Gosden said: "We will continue to address problems of antisocial behaviour, including looking at preventative measures  and continuing work to identify suspects associated with our investigations.”

Several people are worried a lack of facilities for young people is contributing to the crime issues in the area.

Rosemary Covelle-London, 70, who has lived in Stalham for 51 years, said: “I think the main thing Stalham is facing is having proper facilities for children to play in. There is not enough done for children and young people.”

Locals gather to see the erection of a new town sign. Picture from the archives of an unknown date (Image: Newsquest)

DEATH OF THE HIGH STREET

Stalham was once home to a bustling weekly market that brought visitors from across the area.

But this stopped after the arrival of supermarket giants Tesco, which opened a large store at the edge of town - a move many blame for its demise.

Father Steven Western, 75, of Saint Fursey's Orthodox Christian Church (Image: Owen Sennitt)

Father Steven Western, 75, who was instrumental in establishing the Orthodox Christian church in the town, said: “I do feel Stalham is being overlooked. It used to be a hubbub of activity when the market was on every Tuesday but Tesco arriving destroyed that.

“The high street is on its last legs. People seem to start something but then it closes as there is not enough footfall. Even charity shops are struggling.”

Mike Hicks, owner of Stalham's Antiques Gallery (Image: Newsquest)

Mike Hicks, who has run his antiques shop since the 1970s, said: “The town has been very good to me. But I do worry about the effect of supermarkets and their low prices. They also have free parking whereas to use the high street you have to pay.”

The high street recently closed for pavement resurfacing which added to the pressures on businesses due to the loss of footfall.

John Tadgell, 69, of JDT Fishing Tackle (Image: Owen Sennitt)

John Tadgell, 69, who runs a fishing equipment business, questioned if it was worth the £150,000 spent by Norfolk County Council.

He said: “Lots of people thought I had closed due to the road being blocked off.

“The council spent all this money but it doesn’t look much different."

"CONSISTENT NEGLECT"

Stalham district councillors Kevin Bayes and Matthew Taylor recently took NNDC to task for failing to give Stalham a fair share after it was announced it would receive just £20,000 of funding for projects while the more affluent destinations of Holt, Sheringham and Cromer got vastly more.

They worry that the town, which sits on the fringes of the district, is being "consistently neglected" by the council, which they say is in a "coastal bubble" due to its offices being based in Cromer.

Stalham district councillors Kevin Bayes (L) and Matthew Taylor (R) outside St Mary's Church (Image: Newsquest)

Mr Bayes said: "We keep raising the issue but nothing changes. The antisocial behaviour comes from a lack of opportunities here.

"This used to be a key market town in north Norfolk but it is being undervalued."

NNDC has said the reason less money is being spent in Stalham is because it has limited assets there beyond core services - only a small car park and public toilet.

Whereas in Cromer, Sheringham and Holt, several council-owned assets exist, mostly centred around tourism.

Tim Adams, leader of North Norfolk District Council (Image: Newsquest)

Councillor Tim Adams, leader of the council said: “The north Norfolk district covers an extensive geography with 120 communities meaning we have to commit resources according to need and opportunity."

Steam boats visit Stalham's Broads Museum (Image: Newsquest)

The authority has said a task force is working with councillors to develop projects for the high street and that Stalham has also been proposed to become a net zero community due to the high levels of fuel poverty there as there is no mains gas in the town.

For now, Mr Bayes and Mr Taylor continue to work with fellow town councillors to do what they can to work toward the upkeep of the town with the resources they have.

A man rows a boat in Stalham Staithe in 1961 (Image: Newsquest)

THE FORGOTTEN BROADS TOWN?

Situated on a branch of the River Ant in the northern reaches of the Norfolk Broads, Stalham has a rich history and there is evidence of human settlement in the area since the Stone Age.

It grew in prominence in the medieval period when it was a thriving farming community and it later became the centre of the basket-weaving industry, supplying fishing gear to the herring fleet that sailed from Great Yarmouth in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Stalham's high street in the 1970s (Image: Newsquest)

In Victorian times the high street was a bustling place with saddle makers, bakers, a stone mason, drapers, milliners, wine shops, pubs, basket makers, an auctioneer, a surgeon, a post office, watchmakers, plumbers, blacksmiths and haberdashers. The town also had two corn mills.

In 1880, the railway came to Stalham, bringing cattle, sugar beet, coal and - increasingly - Broads holidaymakers, in and out of the town.

At the Broads Museum in the town, this rich history continues to be celebrated and there is also the Firehouse Museum located at the site of what is thought to be one of the earliest fire brigades in England.

Stalham's railway station after it closed in 1959, prior to the Beeching Cuts in the 1960s which closed a number of railway lines across the country (Image: Newsquest)

In the later 20th century, much of its previous industry declined. The railway was dismantled in 1959. Its station building was later rebuilt at Holt on the North Norfolk Railway line.

Stalham's former trackbed to the east of the town now forms part of the Weaver's Way cycle trail. To the west, it is now the A149, which cuts the town centre off from its picturesque staithe area.

Despite the town's challenges, tourism remains an important part of its economy.

Boat hire firm Richardson's is one of the biggest employers and attracts hundreds of holidaymakers each summer.

The company has recently announced further investment into its facilities there.