Tidal Defences Business Partnership

The area currently supports some 21,200 direct jobs and wealth generation in the region of £859m each year (which in turn supports an additional 6,300 indirect jobs, worth a further £283m a year to the economy).

Further economic growth and development potential in the area increase this to a total of 26,700 direct jobs and £1.2bn wealth generation a year (supporting an additional 7,900 indirect jobs, worth a further £354m a year to the economy).

Investment in the tidal defences will enable Great Yarmouth to realise its full economic potential and unlock huge opportunities for businesses. But this can only happen if businesses assist in lobbying and levering in funding from every possible source.

A full Great Yarmouth Flood Risk: Economic Impact Report (PDF) [4MB] (opens new window) on the value of the defences is available to read.

The tidal defences along the River Yare are vital to attracting and sustaining business investment and jobs in key industries that are essential to the prosperity of the local, regional and national economies. The defences at Great Yarmouth also defend large areas of existing residential and commercial property, as well as important infrastructure.

The Environment Agency has a robust, deliverable plan to refurbish the defences in five-year phases over the coming decades, with the first phase of works now complete. The second phase of work is to refurbish 2.65km of defences over the next five years.

Most of the required funding for this phase will come from Defra Flood Defence Grant in Aid, but further funding is required from partners and those benefiting from the flood protection for this phase of work to proceed.  

The Tidal Defences Business Partnership is a business-led group working with the public sector to raise awareness and support for the tidal defences scheme.

The group has met regularly at the Town Hall and a wide variety of Great Yarmouth businesses have been present - together with important officers from Great Yarmouth Borough Council, the Environment Agency, New Anglia LEP and Peel Ports Great Yarmouth. The meetings are open to businesses of all sizes and sectors.

Working closely together, the group has made important progress, including supporting the submission of a significant bid for flood defence funding to New Anglia LEP, and commissioning the  Great Yarmouth Flood Risk: Economic Impact Report (PDF) [4MB] (opens new window) to add weight to this and further bids.

The business partnership normally meets at the Town Hall on the third Wednesday of every month, 9.30am to 10.30am. Businesses of all ages, sizes and sectors are invited to join.

Businesses interested in joining or finding out more should either:

• email coastal.management@north-norfolk.gov.uk 
• contact Chairman John Clare via john.clare@technicusconsulting.com or 01493 800655

The Great Yarmouth Tidal Defence Project (opens new window) website gives information about the partnership and the refurbishment scheme.