The regeneration plans for Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth have taken a further step forward with the appointment of a design and planning company, EDAW.  ‘Most of the regeneration ideas require a change of land use said Philip Watkins, 1st East Chief Executive. “The brownfield land used by long-gone industries cannot be redeveloped for offices, retail, leisure and homes without first getting new permissions.  This will be achieved by advancing the Area Action Plan.  It is a long process but we are at last on the home run and EDAW will help us get there.”

The planning consultants will work with Waveney District Council, Great Yarmouth Borough Council and 1st East to prepare all the reports and supporting evidence that will be submitted to the Government for approval and then be subjected to scrutiny by an independent Planning Inspector at an inquiry that is open to the public. 

A derelict historic former sixteenth century merchant’s house on North Quay in Great Yarmouth has been transformed into high quality affordable housing through a £2 million regeneration project, providing 19 much needed flats for young adults moving on to independent living.

The renovation was carried out by Wellington Construction, working closely with the Conservation Team at Great Yarmouth Borough Council, for the Peddars Way Housing Association, a principal member of Flagship Housing Group and was funded through the Homes & Communities Agency, the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Borough Council.

After many years of neglect, the Grade II listed building was in a sorry state and provided some unique challenges as Paul Pitcher, Director of Lowestoft based Wellington Construction explains, “The first task was to stabilise the structure from the ground up, which involved stripping back the fabric of the building and replacing the roof, during which lots of original features were uncovered – it really was a case of peeling back the layers to reveal the history of the building. This is the third such project we have undertaken in Great Yarmouth and have developed a transparent and close working relationship with the Conservation Team at the Borough council which meant that any issues could be quickly resolved.”

Amongst the historic finds were wall paintings dating back to the sixteenth century, as well as a rare oak mullion window from around 1550.
An on-site joinery workshop was set up to tackle the restoration of the many wooden features of the building, including pitch pine panelling and window shutters and seats from the Georgian period. Each flat has a plaque listing the unique historic features.

Darren Barker, Conservation Officer at the Borough Council praised Wellington Construction for their diligent and thorough approach to the project which he described as an exemplary job.  The 19 flats comprise a mixture of five two-bedroom flats and 14 one-bedroom flats all for affordable rent.

For one couple, Mr and Mrs Willcocks, moving into Breydon House has proved to be just what they needed. Mr Willcocks explains, “We were living in a second floor flat which was cramped and also difficult to access as a disabled person. Now we are on the ground floor, in a lovely flat which has been completely renovated and is ideally located for my wife’s work as well as being handy for the town centre.”

Andrew Egerton-Smith, Chairman of Peddars Way Housing Association said, “This regeneration project is exceptional and will greatly enhance the regeneration of the town. We have created homes where people want to live, in the heart of the community.”

Philip Watkins, 1st East Chief Executive agrees, “North Quay is one of the priority regeneration areas in Great Yarmouth. We are encouraging new development in this area while respecting the cultural heritage. Breydon House shows just how new uses can be found for such important historic buildings. This conversion to high quality affordable homes protects a historic asset while providing modern homes.”