Great Yarmouth launches £1.9m High Street Heritage Action Zone scheme putting heritage and community at heart of town centre revitalisation

The new High Street Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ), covering the Market Place, the Rows and the northern end of King Street, involves local people in repairing, conserving and building a better understanding of the area's historic buildings and sites, working with a range of partners.

Supporting regeneration and recovery, conserving buildings at risk, creating new facilities and giving people new skills, the High Street Heritage Action Zone is a four-year programme, led by the borough council in partnership with Historic England, which has awarded grant funding of £980,743. It will complement the wider investment ambitions supported by the £13.77m Future High Streets Fund and £20.1m Town Deal.

The HSHAZ scheme is supporting work to consolidate the section of medieval Town Wall alongside the Market Place, where scaffolding is already in place as part of preparations. The next project will be restoration of the wrought iron railings at St Nicholas Priory Primary School. The HSHAZ will also help repair and improve historic buildings in Market Row and go towards landscaping the Market Place to complement the £4.6m Market Place redevelopment already underway.  

Building on acclaimed conservation and heritage work that has already been completed in the area, further HSHAZ projects include the repair and re-use of two target buildings in King Street and the Market Place, grant funding schemes supporting historic shopfront improvements and historic building repairs, and historic digital mapping of the area.

Cllr Carl Smith, the council leader, said: "Great Yarmouth and its town centre are blessed with a rich cultural heritage and a fantastic community, which we're putting at the heart of our exciting vision for investment, regeneration and recovery.

"Thanks to funding secured from Historic England, this complementary £1.9m suite of High Street Heritage Action Zone projects will harness and enhance key historic buildings and heritage to help revitalise the town centre, involving the local community and a wide range of other partners."

Bernard Williamson, chairman of Great Yarmouth Preservation Trust, said: "The trust and council have a pedigree of collaborating around heritage conservation as a platform for driving skills, employment, regeneration and investment from the likes of Historic England.

"The High Street Heritage Action Zone will see the project partners work with a range of local groups and organisations to involve the people of the town through a range of initiatives, including hands-on training and workshops in traditional building techniques and skills, as well as research projects and opportunities to engage with heritage through art."

Tony Calladine, Regional Director for Historic England in the East of England, said: "It's fantastic to see the launch of the Great Yarmouth High Street Heritage Action Zone today. I'm particularly looking forward to seeing how the local and business communities come together to work on these projects to reinvigorate the historic high street, and the benefits of the heritage-related skills that are gained by people involved."

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