Plans for a retail development in Dereham could scupper trade in other parts of the town, the head of the local chamber of trade has warned.
Dencora - which created 12 shops in the multi-million-pound Wrights Walk/Chapel Walk shopping centre - has submitted plans to Breckland Council to build a two-storey retail scheme with two two-bedroom flats on former parking land opposite QD and the garden of the old Bonds toy shop.
The scheme would include 1516 sq m of shop floor space but Stephen Cross, chairman of Dereham Chamber of Trade, insists the scheme is not needed as there are already a large number of empty shops in Quebec Street and Norwich Street waiting to be rented out.
She impressed Sir Alan Sugar with her talent and business acumen and now Ruth Badger has come to Dereham to impart some of her wisdom on a caravan and motor-home dealership.
The town's Greentrees Adventure Stores is one of six businesses to feature in The Apprentice runner up's new Sky One show Badger or Bust, in which Ruth turns businesses on their heads in order to increase sales.
Neil Greentree, managing director of Greentrees which was created by his father, Keith, in 1971, said: “Last year we had just had our best year ever with a turnover of nearly £6 million and I wanted to show my staff we could still be better and that they needed to be more professional.
Supermarket giant Tesco on Wednesday unveiled multi-million pound expansion plans for its Dereham store which would create 100 new jobs and see a wind turbine built on the site.
If the scheme is approved by planners, it would make Dereham one of the biggest Tesco shops in the region and see its sales floor space expand from about 50,000 sq ft to around 70,000 sq ft.
A baker from Dereham has walked off with the top award at the Bakers Oven National Instore Baker of the Year competition for the second year running.
Richard Haydon, who has worked for Bakers Oven's Midlands division for six years and is a relief baker covering the company's stores in Norfolk and Suffolk, won the Savoury Innovation award and three of the individual categories (large bloomer, small split tin and jam doughnut), as well as being the overall first prize winner in the competition.
Dereham Post Office has been voted as one of the best in the South East and is in the running to be named the number one in the UK.
Customers at the post office voted it the best directly managed post office in the South East in the 2006 Best Post Office Awards.
The branch, which is managed by Fred Leggett, with a nine-strong team of counter staff, was applauded for its positive customer comments and short waiting times.
Dereham Market is to return to its traditional home in the town centre for a trial period.
The Friday market will be held in the Market Place for three weeks from Monday July 24 while Cowper Road car park is closed for resurfacing.
When Royal Navy man Percy Palmer bought his first 'state-of-the-art' black and white 17in television set in 1959, he probably hoped it would give him a few good years of family viewing.
Little did he know that half a century later his grandson would be returning it to the same store in perfect working order - in an age when giant plasma screens, surround sound and scores of channels are the norm.
Leap forward to 2015. British and US troops are still in Iraq, while Gordon Brown's wait goes on for Tony Blair to hand over the keys to Number 10. Local shops are a passing memory, with plans to open a small-store museum in Norfolk.
Traders in Breckland are being given a hand to fight credit card crime ahead of the Christmas rush and January sales.
Already more than 20 businesses from all over the area have signed up to a free conference in Dereham on Wednesday November 30, 10.30-12 and there are still some places left for applications, which need to be in by Monday.