Councillors have approved the first phase of 82 new homes at The Conge in Great Yarmouth, voting to agree to grant planning permission for the scheme.

Members of Great Yarmouth Borough Council's Development Management Committee backed the project at a meeting, following a recommendation from planning officers.

The application was brought forward after the launch of a five-year partnership between GYBC, Broadland Housing and Orwell Housing to help deliver more homes at pace and support the borough's regeneration plans.

The scheme will revitalise a key gateway linking the railway station with the revamped Market Place, and will complement the proposed mixed‑use transformation of North Quay.

Officials said the layout will retain connectivity while turning The Conge from a route dominated by former industrial and commercial buildings into a sustainable, pedestrian‑friendly street and community.

Proposals include new landscaping and trees and enhanced walking and cycling links. Subject to funding, the mixed‑tenure homes will be two to four storeys and include flats, plus semi‑detached and terraced houses designed to reflect Great Yarmouth's character.

The design takes cues from the site's industrial heritage, with a range of brick types as the primary material and varied roof forms to add interest to the street scene.

-- Advertisement --

Smaller, high‑quality open spaces will include two residents‑only courtyards within terraced blocks. Along the southern boundary, a pocket park will connect the development to existing footpaths linking North Quay and George Street.

The tree‑lined Conge will be formalised with planting on both sides to create an avenue‑style road, tying in with landscaping proposed for North Quay. Conservation experts, including Historic England, support the plans and say the scheme preserves and enhances the character and appearance of nearby Conservation Areas.

There will be 58 car parking spaces on‑plot or in courts, plus 16 unallocated on‑street spaces. All allocated bays will have EV chargers. With many former commercial occupiers having relocated, planners say there may be a net reduction in local traffic.

Officers said the development will integrate with the existing street grid, improve safety and reduce unauthorised street parking. Cycle provision includes cargo‑bike storage for townhouses and communal bike stores in flats, and the parking strategy reflects the site’s sustainable location close to walking, cycling and public transport.

Councillor Carl Smith, leader of GYBC, said: "This development will deliver important economic benefits for Great Yarmouth. In the short term, jobs will be created through the construction. In the long term, new residents in the town centre will generate increased expenditure within the area. We are confident it will also attract more private investment.

"This ambitious scheme is a key part of the regeneration of the Great Yarmouth waterfront into a vibrant new urban quarter, including providing homes to meet local need, delivering a series of new neighbourhoods, improving the gateway entrance to the town and facilitating an improved link between the railway station and town centre. It will help further the wider regeneration of our borough.'"

Prior to the application being lodged, GYBC secured grant funding from the Future High Streets and Brownfield Land Release Fund to assemble land and carry out demolition.

The development of new energy‑efficient homes follows public consultation, and authority was delegated to officers to issue planning permission subject to matters including a S106 Agreement on planning obligations and conditions such as commencing work within two years and completing relevant traffic orders and ecology reports.