Middlegate regeneration

Great Yarmouth Borough Council was awarded £858,000 by central government to make improvements to the outdoor play and social spaces around the Middlegate Estate. The improvements were based on the things that residents told us were important when we had a major review of life on the estate in 2018. These included wanting safer, greener, social spaces for residents, and improved security to help tackle anti-social behaviour. It was also identified that many of the existing play areas were getting old and may not be suitable for children with reduced mobility.

What improvements were made?

The work to improve the outdoor spaces was completed in 2022. We:

• removed a fenced concrete games area off King Street, called a 'multi-use games area' or 'MUGA', which residents said was a source of noise and anti-social behaviour, replacing it with a new shared garden space with grass and trees, available only to the residents of the homes that surround it
• upgraded the three existing play areas at Clarendon Close North, Clarendon Close South and Dorset Close, with new play equipment made with natural materials, and new seating and lighting; this includes a wheelchair accessible play ship and roundabout
• improved security with new communal doors, gates and lighting

A new Tolhouse Street activity trail is due to be installed shortly.

If you notice anything that needs repairing please contact the South Yarmouth Area Office.

The Council has a long-term ambition to regenerate the Middlegate estate to improve the physical conditions of both homes and the communal areas. This will ensure the long-term liveability of the estate to meet the housing need of current and future generations.

In March 2017, the Council successfully made a bid to the national Estate Regeneration Programme for funding to undertake a feasibility study of how the Middlegate Estate could be regenerated. Following an open tender, ARK Consultancy was appointed by the Council in January 2018.

Ark Consultancy carried out a number of community events to better understand the views of residents, as well as the needs of residents, that the regeneration would need to take into account. A feasibility study was completed that provided a masterplan for how the estate could be regenerated. Ark Consultancy concluded, that subject to the Council making a successful funding bid for some Government funding, it would be affordable to regenerate the estate. As more work is needed on the financial costs of regenerating the estate, no decisions have yet been made to regenerate the estate.

For a copy of the initial feasibility study, please contact the South Yarmouth Area Office.

The Council continues to review the viability of the regeneration of the estate and further information will be provided as this progresses.