Attracting investors and developers to make the regeneration plans for the two towns a reality is a key task for 1st East and staff were on hand at the world’s largest property and investment exhibition - MIPIM, held in Cannes, as part of the Showcase UK stand along with English Partnerships - the national regeneration agency and partner of 1st East.
Mark Bayley, Communications & Marketing Manager commented “Sharing a stand with a number of other companies and agencies is the most cost effective way of us having a profile here at MIPIM. With over 28,000 visitors from all over the world it’s the ideal platform to attract developers and investors to see the big opportunities for the regeneration of the waterfront areas of the two towns.”
Visitors to the stand were able to talk to key staff, take away copies of our Developer Prospectus and they were able to see the Fly-through visualisation of how the proposed developments could look when built.
Richard Wright, Chairman of 1st East said, “For us it’s been invaluable - a great opportunity to meet a significant number of major players in the investment and property market in a short time and to raise our profile nationally and internationally.
We were encouraged by the level of interest in the regeneration plans for the two towns despite the current market conditions and we will be eagerly following up all the contacts and leads to get investors and developers to Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft to see the scale of the development opportunities to be realised.” MIPIM Website
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a £20 Argos Gift Card.
Just answer this simple question for your chance to win:
How many kilometres of
waterfront does the URC area cover?
(across the two towns according to the 1st East Website) www.1steast.co.uk
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Closing date 25th April 2008.
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Plans to regenerate a derelict site at the western end of Lake Lothing in Lowestoft have taken a further step forward with the submission of a detailed planning application by Vaughan English Associates Ltd (VEA).
The proposed development comprises 93 new high quality waterfront homes, (including 8 affordable homes), a new public library and community hall accessible to all local residents as well as a commercial unit and provision for a water taxi and moorings. The development accommodates a public footpath through and around the site which importantly will provide new public access to the waterfront.
1st East Chief Executive, Philip Watkins said “This will be one of the first significant developments to take shape in the regeneration area covered by 1st East. The design is bold and modern, but the developers have also taken into account the height and scale of other buildings in the adjacent area and the proposed design will form an impressive entrance to Lake Lothing at its western end.”
Representatives from VEA Ltd and 1st East were on hand to answer questions about the proposed development at a recent, well attended open public meeting at which local residents were able to express their views and see the detail of the designs.
The planning application is currently on hold pending the results of a cumulative flood risk study to look at the combined effects of the proposed developments around Lake Lothing including the Waveney Campus and Brooke Peninsula sites. Director of Development, Tomasz Kozlowski commented “Yes there are challenging issues relating to flooding in the Lake Lothing area but we are, and will continue to, work closely with the Environment Agency to come up with site specific solutions to reduce the risks.”
The southern side of Lake Lothing is set to be transformed with two major developments - Waveney Campus and Brooke Peninsula.
Waveney Campus is a £50 million investment - bringing together up to 1000 staff from Cefas, Waveney District and Suffolk County Council's in a landmark administrative and state-of-the-art scientific complex.
Following the Public Inquiry last year into the compulsory purchase of land in order to secure the site for Waveney Campus, both the Inspector and the Secretary of State have accepted the case made by the Campus partners at the inquiry. The evidence supported that there was no acceptable alternative site to be found in the town. In addition, the Inspector's report concluded that the Campus project will deliver to taxpayers best value for money. All but one of the current landowners has already reached agreement with Waveney District Council to sell their land and relocate. The single remaining plot will be compulsorily purchased, paving the way for the development to progress.
Just to the west of the Waveney Campus site, PRC, on behalf of CKS Developments have submitted an outline planning application for the development of the former Brooke Marine Works.
The proposal is for a mixed use scheme, bringing up to 650 quality waterfront homes as well as a Care facility, working quayside, a slipway for leisure craft, new marina and a new pedestrian cycle bridge across Lake Lothing linking in to the existing cycle network.
PRC presented the plans to two well attended resident's group meetings where local residents expressed their views relating to possible disturbance from construction traffic and the impact on the existing road infrastructure. PRC explained that the developer was exploring the option of bringing the material required to raise the land on the site from the port, reducing significantly the need for heavy traffic movements. They also explained that the proposed developments would be built in a phased way, including improving access and the local road network.
The planning application will be considered by Waveney District Council who will ultimately make the decision on the nature, size and extent of the proposed development that would be allowed.
Great Yarmouth hosted a visit by the national board of the Environment Agency (EA) on 18th March and heard presentations from local and regional Environment Agency staff, Great Yarmouth Borough Council and 1st East about emergency planning; shore-line management plans; and, regeneration. The collaboration between 1st East and the EA at a regional level was positively acknowledged and 1st East has been invited to meet a government joint working group to look at issues relating to planning policy and flood risk in brownfield and waterfront areas.
Come along to these Chamber of Commerce breakfast
events where staff from 1st East will be on hand to explain how 1st East
and its partners are proposing to comprehensively regenerate the brownfield
and waterfront areas of the town and in the process create more jobs and
boost the local economy by coordinating public and private sector development.
Lowestoft - 18th April go to the Waveney
Chamber of Commerce website to book your place.
Great Yarmouth - 24th April go to the Norfolk
Chamber of Commerce website to book your place.
We look forward to meeting you there.
John Ellerby has been appointed as a Director of
1st East, the urban regeneration company for Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth.
John was nominated as the representative for the Waveney Local Strategic
Partnership and works as a Research and Publicity Officer for Lowestoft
Together, a community action group.
Born in Suffolk, John has lived in Lowestoft since 1978, working as a teacher
at Lowestoft College and a number of schools including Benjamin Britten High
School and Roman Hill Middle School. He also served as a Waveney District Councillor
from 1987 to 91 and has worked for a computer games company and as a director
of a local training company.
Richard Wright, Chairman of 1st East commented, “We’re delighted
to welcome John to the board of 1st East. He is a well known and respected campaigner
on local issues and John’s experience of working in the community and his
connections to voluntary organisations will be invaluable to us.”
John sees regeneration as central to improving
people’s lives - “It’s
going to take a long term vision to make sure that our recovery continues until
we have a vibrant, successful, and sustainable community. 1st East’s aims
are in line with that vision, and I’m pleased to be on the Board as a Community
Representative because I have no doubt that if the community is engaged; and
1st East listens to what people say; in 20 years time both Lowestoft and Great
Yarmouth will be flourishing seaside towns, brimful of self-confidence and success.”
The 1st East Website has been revamped, making it
easier to find key documents and navigate as well as a new section dedicated
to Investors and Developers.
Mark Bayley, Communications and Marketing Manager
said “The website is
an important means of communicating with our diverse range of stakeholders
and communities. We aim to be open and transparent in all our communications
and the website includes a lot of background information as well as all the
minutes of our Board Meetings.
The new Developer
Section also has the Developer Prospectus available as a download which
promotes the big opportunities to be realised here in the two towns.”
Great Yarmouth has one of the oldest civic buildings in the country. Now the Tollhouse Museum, the building dates from 1260 and was once the town courtroom and gaol.
English Partnerships
Waveney District Council
Suffolk County Council
East of England Development Agency
Norfolk County Council
Great Yarmouth Borough Council