BRAND new details about plans to revitalise Braintree and get the town centre “buzzing” have been revealed.

The Braintree Town Partnership is hoping to stage more events to attract visitors to the town and could even bring in big screens for major sporting occasions.

But chair Rob Ely is urging residents to be patient with the group saying it has a seven-or eight-year plan.

The partnership was set up last year to bring the council and businesses together to work on the town centre.

It has now set out its objectives for 2019, which include offering more town centre events and covering empty shop windows with event advertising.

Rob said: “We know what we are. We’re a market town with lots of history and great people but it’s no secret that high streets like ours are suffering so we need to look to the future and at how we can evolve things.

“There’s a glass half empty feeling about Braintree at the moment and that needs to be turned on its head, so people feel positive about it because that’s what we all want.

“Nobody wants a bad town centre.

“Patience is needed, and people need to support their town centre. So, don’t go to one street market and then completely write it off if you don’t like it. Come back in a month and see how it’s improved.”

In addition to events such as street markets, Mr Ely suggested showing sporting events on big screens could be one way of drawing visitors to the town in the longer term, while the group is also hoping to work with Braintree Village.

More immediately, it hopes a new awards ceremony will fuel positivity about the town and said it is on the look-out for volunteers to grow momentum behind it.

Rob said: “At Christmas it was packed for the lights switch-on and what we want eventually is a situation where we have events which get it buzzing like that every weekend.

“This needs to be something which everyone is really engaged with and excited about, so we want to offer it out. We need people who can help with everything from social media, to organising the awards to handing out leaflets.”

Visitors could also soon see town centre event adverts covering empty shop fronts.

Braintree Council town centre and public realm manager Stephen Wenlock said: “We want to make empty store fronts look more attractive while also advertising town centre events.

“It is only an idea at this stage and it is reliant on getting the buy-in of the shops’ landlords, but it could make a big difference to the feel of the town.

"We want to bring more visitors in, and with a higher footfall that could eventually attract businesses to fill the empty units.”

The group has also created its own logo, will be setting up its own website and has set up an organisational structure as it seeks to begin making its mark.

Anyone looking to volunteer is asked to email: robert.ely@braintreetownpartnership.org.uk.