Great Yarmouth's bid progresses to next stage of Future High Streets Fund

Cllr Carl Smith and Cllr Trevor Wainwright, leaders of the main political groups at Great Yarmouth Borough Council, said: "It is absolutely fantastic news that our bid to the Future High Streets Fund has progressed to the next stage of assessment and we have been awarded £150,000 to develop a business case to seek significant, multi-million-pound investment in our town centre.

"More than 300 councils from across the country applied for a share of this £675m funding pot, and our Stage One success is a huge show of confidence in Great Yarmouth's potential and our clear vision to regenerate the historic town centre as a community hub and the heart of our borough.

"The exciting opportunity is to secure significant transformational Government funding, which we hope will act as a catalyst for further private sector investment. Finally, a big thank you to the team of officers for their hard work in getting the application to this important stage."

Sheila Oxtoby, the council's chief executive, said: "Supporting the Town Centre Masterplan, our ambition is focussed around re-introducing more residential uses back into the town centre, including along The Conge, bringing empty buildings back into use, improving linkages to the seafront and considering how to maximise opportunities for the town centre arising from both our rich cultural heritage and the role of digital and green technologies in the high street.

"We will also continue to work through our plans to improve the Market Place. These are exciting times for Great Yarmouth and we are pleased the Government recognised the strength of our bid.

"As part of developing the business case, we look forward to engaging with the whole community to give people the chance to shape the future of their town, and we hope that everyone welcomes the potential of significant investment in their town centre."