First wave of Great Yarmouth's £20m Pride in Place projects now underway after Government endorses plans

And work has now begun on delivering on these ambitions after the Government officially endorsed Great Yarmouth Town Board's proposals for its first tranche of the Pride in Place funding.

Great Yarmouth was one of 70 places across the country initially selected for £20m Pride in Place support over the next decade, with the aim of helping to build stronger and more connected communities with local people deciding where the money will go.

Great Yarmouth's Town Board was responsible for drawing up the programme of projects following a major survey of local residents carried out in 2024. It will also oversee the delivery of the work that is designed to contribute to long-term economic and social regeneration in the borough.

As part of the survey, detailed views of more than 700 local people were canvassed to understand residents' priorities for Great Yarmouth. A wide range of organisations and other stakeholders also provided input to the survey.

There was a clear consensus around five themes - making it easier to access health services; bringing empty shops and buildings back into use; making the town feel safer; keeping streets clean and tidy; and creating places for children and young people to socialise and have fun.

As a result, a range projects were drawn up to reflect those priorities, and work can now begin following the Government's endorsement of the programme.

It will see work focused on:

·       Regeneration of The Conge is seeing acquisition, enabling works, lease-extinguishment, compensation and preparation ahead of a major residential development which has been approved by planners.                            

·       Repurposing vacant buildings to reduce blight, drive residential use and increase footfall​, with an emphasis upon landmark buildings and heritage at risk. 

·       A Great Yarmouth Town Centre Taskforce has been created, designed to ensure streets and shop frontages are clean and free of litter, fly tippers prosecuted, empty properties being brought back into use and anti-social behaviour tackled and more use made of Public Spaces Protection Order powers.

·       Events and cultural animation will see the council working alongside partners to develop activities to drive welcoming and inclusive community participation with arts and culture in public spaces.

·       Targeted, collectively owned work to foster positivity and pride in the town, encouraging civic engagement by linking with organisations like Visit GY and the Town Centre Partnership.

·       Parks, landscape and ecology management with dedicated resources focused on improving the quality of green spaces and planting to encourage 'dwell-time', mobilising volunteers to encourage community engagement.

·       Heritage enhancements via an investment fund in partnership with Great Yarmouth Preservation Trust to capitalise on the historic built environment, improving community participation and engagement.

·       New preventative town centre health and dental provider facilities, to bring care into local communities, helping to get people back into work and narrowing health inequalities.

·       Sourcing funding from Sport England to develop facilities to give young people access to sports and activities that provide somewhere safe and enjoyable to meet friends, increase engagement and aspiration.

·       A campaign and resources geared towards younger people to foster civic engagement, pride and volunteering, encouraging and empowering young people to make positive contributions to their communities.  

The independent Great Yarmouth Town Board is chaired by Henry Cator - Deputy Lieutenant for Norfolk and High Steward of Great Yarmouth - and vice-chaired by Chris Sargisson, CEO of Hethel Innovation.

It also includes the town's MP, Rupert Lowe, and wider community representatives, so that a wide range of interests and perspectives are reflected. Great Yarmouth Borough Council is the accountable body for the funding and its officers provide the board with technical and legal support.

Mr Cator said: ''We are delighted the Government has endorsed our carefully considered programme for the first wave of Pride in Place funding. The Town Board worked hard with residents to focus on issues that really matter to them. This programme is a reflection of those priorities and - following Government endorsement - it is fantastic things can now get underway.

''Great Yarmouth, like a lot of communities selected for this funding, needs more love and care and it is heartening to see the Government recognise this. The money will help bring real improvements that will help our community feel hopeful and positive about what can be achieved together. We're proud to see Great Yarmouth get the focus and attention its residents deserve.''

In addition to the Pride in Place projects, the Town Board has also approved a range of work to be paid for with an additional £1.5m of immediate Government funding.

The schemes include the recently announced £320,000 to improve children's play areas in the borough with a five-year programme to refurbish or replace equipment at priority locations.

There will be £200,000 for Peggotty Road Community Centre to improve heating and reduce running costs. And £150,00 to enhance St George's Park and Gorleston Cliffs with hard landscaping, better accessibility, improved paths and paving, planting and new inclusive play options.

£200,000 is being made available to restore the derelict Caister-On-Sea Cemetery and Grade II-listed Gorleston Old Cemetery Lodge to provide distinctive family homes.

And £62,000 will go to reinstate the Gorleston Carnegie Clock which has been in storage since the former Carnegie Library was demolished in 1975. Gorleston Library Friends started fundraising to restore the clock to full working order and the flowerbed outside of the Feathers Pub has been identified as a suitable location for installation.