An aerial view of North Walsham town centre. Graphic ANNETTE HUDSON. Copyright: GetMapping.

New public toilets are the first move in a property chess game which chiefs hope will eventually transform the look and vitality of North Walsham town centre.

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A revamped block is being installed in the Vicarage Street car park and will open next month, triggering the closure and eventual demolition of outdated toilets which stand behind derelict 4 Market Street; a prominent eyesore blighting a gateway site to the town for the best part of a decade.

In turn that move will increase possibilities for the redevelopment of the greater 4 Market Street area.

North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) is assessing an 11th-hour proposal for 4 Market Street submitted by its owner, Mark Tentori.

Mr Tentori was given until January 31 to come up with a viable suggestion for developing the site after deciding that he did not want to go ahead with planning permission, granted in November 2009, for flats and shops, incorporating new NNDC-funded public toilets.

But council chiefs have reserved the option of compulsorily purchasing his building if agreement cannot be reached.

“This has gone on long enough,” said councillor Eric Seward, chairman of the Leadership of Place project which aims to re-invigorate the town.

“This building has become a touchstone for whether the town is going forwards or backwards.”

Leadership of Place board member Trevor Ivory, cabinet member for localism, said there were a number of options for the site but, in the current economic climate, one realistic possibility was clearing and landscaping it, revealing the magnificent medieval church behind, and enticing visitors to the adjoining troubled St Nicholas Court shopping precinct.

Leadership of Place members are mulling over an NNDC-commissioned report on the precinct by chartered surveyor Nigel Morgan who described it as “in a state of failure” in public perception.

One suggested option would see it offer a mix of shops, service and community uses with investment in improving the look of the buildings.

North Walsham Town Council has given its backing to mayor Vivienne Uprichard’s suggestion that the former Connexions building in the precinct could become an arts centre, staging workshops and other events which did not conflict with activities at the town’s Atrium or New Road community centre.

Norfolk County Council, which has seven years lease left on the building, no longer intends moving up to 100 staff there as conversion would be too expensive.