A Norfolk town council has appointed consultants to create a business plan after buying a theatre and swimming pool on the grounds of a former convent last year.

Dereham Times: The Sacred Heart Barn Theatre and Swimming Pool have been sold. Pic: Brown & CoThe Sacred Heart Barn Theatre and Swimming Pool have been sold. Pic: Brown & Co

Swaffham Town Council announced its bid to purchase the Sacred Heart Barn theatre and swimming pool for £325,000 had been accepted on June 18 after it was agreed by trustees.

Now, the council has hired consultants Ingham Pinnock Associates to carry out a feasibility study and business plan for the Sacred Heart Barn Theatre and Swimming Pool.

The consultants are also tasked with completing a review of the council’s assets and will look at how they can maximise these for the benefit of Swaffham over the next 20 to 30 years.

Ross Ingham and Kate Pinnock from Ingham Pinnock Associates said: “We are delighted to be appointed for this exciting suite of work.

"Swaffham is a wonderful market town that we already know fairly well, so we were thrilled when we learned we had been appointed to work with the Town Council.

"Working with Caroe Architecture Limited and Greenwood Projects, we are looking forward to getting started and hopefully contributing some good ideas over the next few months that can support the town and its residents for years to come.“

The work should take around three months to complete and will involve community engagement.

This is seen as an 'essential piece of work' that will lay the foundation to complement and improve on existing facilities, regenerate and rejuvenate and improve the quality of life for those who live, work and visit Swaffham.

Mayor of Swaffham, Jill Skinner, said: “It is great to secure the expertise of Ingham Pinnock Associates for the benefit of the town and heartening to achieve a unanimous endorsement from councillors, just as we are starting to emerge out of the pandemic lockdown.

"The Barn will be an exciting project and it is so important for us to maximise the use of the town's assets appropriately for the foreseeable future.

"Hopefully, everyone can unify behind this project and we as councillors can drive this forward with enthusiasm to deliver what we aim to be an innovative community project, meeting the needs of the town.”