Introduction
The bid was put together by Great Yarmouth Borough Council in July 2008 for a grant of £1.9 million from the Regional Housing Board, administered by the East of England Regional Assembly. The grant will fund a 2-year innovative project that aims to regenerate the Camperdown area of Great Yarmouth. 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 issues of decline in the hotel industry, increasing numbers of empty properties, houses of multiple occupation (HMOs) and the general rundown appearance of the area.
What is the project area?
The project area is in the Nelson ward of Great Yarmouth, and includes Camperdown, Nelson Road South, Dagmar Mews and part of Kimberley Terrace. 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
There will be regular press releases, newsletters and individual letters to residents and owners in the area to keep people informed of progress.
 |
 |
 |