Around 8,500 new homes are expected to be needed across the borough, alongside new employment land and the infrastructure required to support growing communities.
It is a big number, and one which could mean noticeable changes for towns and villages across West Norfolk.
But before lines are drawn on maps and decisions are made about where those homes might go, the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk wants local people to get involved.
A public consultation has opened as the council begins preparing its new Local Plan, called People, Opportunities, Places.
And although 8,500 homes will inevitably grab the headlines, the plan is about considerably more than housing.
It will look at where people work, how they travel, where children go to school and how communities access medical facilities. Transport, employment, infrastructure and the environment will all form part of the discussion.
Councillor Jim Moriarty, the council's Cabinet Member for Planning and Licensing, said the consultation was an opportunity for local people to have a "real say" in how West Norfolk develops over the next 15 years.
He acknowledged that 8,500 new homes sounded like a lot, but said the development would be needed to meet future demand for housing.
The challenge is making sure growth brings benefits to the communities around it.
Councillor Moriarty pointed to Downham Market as an example, where a growing population has helped create demand for a town centre which now supports a mixture of established and newer independent businesses.
This first consultation isn't asking residents simply to choose between a list of proposed housing estates.
Instead, it is asking a much broader question: what matters to you when deciding where West Norfolk should grow?
Residents can comment on sites which have already been suggested and give their views on how future sites should be assessed.
There is also an opportunity for landowners, or people who know of potentially suitable land, to suggest sites which have not previously been identified.
And this is only the beginning.
Feedback from this consultation will help council officers prepare a draft Local Plan. Residents will then have another opportunity to comment on that document before a final draft provides a third chance for public input.
The entire process is expected to take around three years, with the new Local Plan due to be adopted in 2029.
For communities across West Norfolk, from King's Lynn and Downham Market to Hunstanton and the many villages in between, the decisions ultimately contained within it could shape how their area looks and feels for years to come.
Have your say
The consultation is open until midnight on Tuesday, September 29.
People can take part online through the Borough Council's website, while paper copies of the survey are available from the council offices at King's Court in King's Lynn.
There will also be opportunities to speak directly to the team.
An online session takes place from 3pm to 5pm on Tuesday, September 8, followed by a drop-in session at The Place in King's Lynn from 11am to 3pm on Monday, September 14.
The team will be at Hunstanton Town Hall from 2pm to 7pm on Thursday, September 17, before returning to The Place in King's Lynn from 11am to 3pm on Tuesday, September 22.
A session at Downham Market Town Hall runs from 2pm to 7pm on Wednesday, September 23, with a final online session from 3pm to 5pm on Thursday, September 24.
Online sessions can be booked through the Borough Council website.
With thousands of homes potentially changing the shape of West Norfolk over the coming years, this is one consultation where today's comments could have an impact on the area for a very long time.
