SCORES of people flocked to a special event in Bungay yesterday to have their say on the future of the market town.Organisers of Bungay's 'visioning day' at the Fisher Theatre were delighted with the response to the first stage of developing a new town plan.

SCORES of people flocked to a special event in Bungay yesterday to have their say on the future of the market town.

Organisers of Bungay's 'visioning day' at the Fisher Theatre were delighted with the response to the first stage of developing a new town plan.

Visitors were encouraged to talk to community leaders about a wide range of issues and placed stickers on boards with ideas on how to improve the town.

Didy Ward, project manager for the Bungay Community Partnership, which organised the event, said: “About 150 people dropped in from all walks of life, from the very young to the quite elderly.

“Everyone has said they found it very interesting.

“It has sparked a lot of debate and it has given people the chance to discuss the issues.”

Mrs Ward said two of the hottest topics were a bypass for the town and plans for a new community centre, both of which received positive and negative responses.

There were also mixed opinions over proposals for a new one-way system.

Among the many other suggestions were calls for more free parking, a new children's play area, a spruce-up of town centre buildings and better promotion of the town's history.

The responses will now be used to compile a questionnaire, which will be sent out to people in the Bungay area.

The results from the questionnaires will then be taken to focus groups to discuss specific issues. After this, a town plan will be drawn up and projects taken forward.

Mrs Ward added: “It is a living, working town plan. It is not something dusty that will be kept on the shelves.”