Introduction
The bid was put together by Great Yarmouth Borough Council in September 2005
for a grant of £4.2 million from the Regional
Housing Board, administered by Go-East. The grant will fund a 2-year
innovative project that aims to regenerate the Wellesley Road area. The
area was chosen because of its importance to the tourism industry due to
its proximity to the sea front. There was also a recognised need to address
its issues of decline in the hotel industry, increasing numbers of empty
properties, houses of multiple occupation (HMOs) and general rundown.
What is the project area?
The project area is in the Central and Northgate ward of Great Yarmouth (Click
here to view the area (pdf)), and includes part of Sandown Rd, most of Wellesley
Road down to the junction with Paget Road and Paget Road itself. It is currently
in the Secondary Tourist area, and hence there is a large number of hotels,
guest houses and B&Bs.
A broad range of issues will be tackled with a view to improving the neighbourhood
for residents, businesses and tourists. For more information about the locality
please visit the National
Statistics website, which will tell you about some of the characteristics
of the project area’s surrounding neighbourhood.
What is included in the bid?
- A strategy to bring the empty homes in the area back into use
- Grants to give the fronts of all properties in the area a face-lift
- Working with owners to advance the living standards of residential properties
- “Street-scene” development to improve the feel of the neighbourhood
An Innovative Project
The project is seen as innovative because of its characteristics:
- It specifically involves the partnership of tourism, planning and housing authorities as the area falls within the Secondary Tourist Area and a Conservation Area. The aim is that the local economy and Tourist industry will benefit from the investment into housing including tackling empty homes and HMO management issues.
- Targeting a specific geographical area brings focus and maximises impact. Hopefully this will enable it to form a template to be reused elsewhere in Great Yarmouth and other coastal areas
- It intends to develop housing options to improve the tenure mix in the area, including possibilities of intermediate rent and shared ownership schemes. It also involves the development of a local key worker definition to help draw this group to the town
Who’s involved?
There are many different groups and organisations involved in the project.
A cross-sector reference group involving local councillors will have input
at regular stages, and local councillors will also sit on the project’s
decision making board.
There will be far-reaching benefits:
- To Great Yarmouth as a whole, through improved perceptions of the area, increasing investor confidence
- To the tourism industry, as better standards of holiday accommodation will attract more holiday-makers. This will also have positive impacts on the borough as a whole
- To residents of the area, improving their standard of living
Currently a working group from various council departments is producing a detailed project plan. Project staff will be employed ahead of the new financial year when the project will fully kick-off. There will be regular press releases, newsletters and individual letters to residents and owners in the area to keep people informed of progress.
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| | Great Yarmouth Borough Council | | | Great Yarmouth Official Tourism | | | Go-East Regional Government | |