The £3 million project that will see regeneration of parts of Diss could be started in the summer after planning applications were approved.

The Diss Heritage Project, a partnership between the Diss Corn Hall Trust, Town Council and Museum, submitted two seperate planning applications to South Norfolk Council which were approved under delegated planning powers.

One application detailed the refurbishment and modernisation of the grade II listed Corn Hall - which the town council said would benefit the town by modernising the Corn Hall as a 'multipurpose venue for the 21st century.

The other application was for the development of the Diss Mere area which will see a planned viewing platform on the Mere, an access footpath from Market Hill as well as a Boardwalk connecting to the ends of Hale's Yard and King's Head Yard with links back to Mere Street.

David Case from Heritage Triangle said: 'It's fantastic news that that this has got the go ahead, with the great funding before Christmas and now the planning permission.

'It's been a long and hard 2014 and the hard work starts now.'

In early December the project surpassed its target of raising £100,000 in public donations through the Big Give national fundraising challenge run by the Garfield Weston Foundation.

£33,880 was donated and was doubled to £67,760 by the foundation with £125,000 in total raised through local donations.

And Mr Case believes that work on the scheme could start as early as late June.

'We're seeing architects next week to go into design plans. And hope to start by the end of June. We're on schedule and keeping our fingers crossed we remain so.

'It's great we will be able to start soon and their will be a further consultation were the public plans will be delivered but there won't be no drastic changes.'

What are your views on the Heritage Project's applications being approved?

Email dma.letters@archant.co.uk