The Wisbech 2020 Vision programme is being refreshed to focus more sharply on several key priorities, particularly education, health and social cohesion.

Further public consultation is to take place later this year to gather people’s views on the project’s progress.

Those were among the main points to emerge from the fourth annual Vision Summit attended by about 80 people at the Thomas Clarkson Academy. They included councillors, business leaders and members of local voluntary groups.

Fenland District Council leader John Clark said: “It was an incredibly positive and constructive meeting that underlined the valuable contributions being made by all our partners.

“It showed that we’re continuing to move in the right direction and things are gathering pace. This has always been a long-term project but all the bits are coming together and we’re making encouraging gains as we go along.”

Councillor Steve Count, leader of Cambridgeshire County Council, said: “Events since our last summit and even over recent months show that this vision and its potential for this town’s future is really starting to take hold.”

He highlighted the need to build on the successful visit to the town in March of Greg Clark, the then Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

“Greg Clark was extremely positive about the visit and spoke supportively about the Wisbech-Cambridge rail link,” he said. “We did an excellent job of getting our message across to government but we now need to build on that success and ensure that the new Secretary of State shares Mr Clark’s enthusiasm for the work we are doing.”

The refinement of the Vision programme follows detailed examination of the progress made - and the lessons learned - since the project was officially launched nearly four years ago.

Work will now focus on four essential themes: skills and education; health, wellbeing and cohesion; infrastructure, growth and the built environment; and the local economy.

A series of themed workshops is being arranged, together with another consultation exercise planned for the late summer or early autumn.