GREEN INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION MEANS A POSITIVE FUTURE FOR NORFOLK’S MOST EASTERLY TOWN

In the current climate we are all looking for some positive news – and we can find it in Great Yarmouth.  Despite the economic doom and gloom resulting from Covid, and the uncertainty about the post-Brexit world, Norfolk’s most easterly town can look to the future with a good degree of optimism – because it is perfectly placed to take advantage of what the government is calling the ‘Green Industrial Revolution’.

The goal of the UK achieving zero emission by 2050 is entirely dependent on the move towards renewable energy.  East Anglia as a whole, and in particular Great Yarmouth, is well-placed to benefit from this refocussing of energy policy, because much of that renewable energy is going to have to be generated offshore.

With half a century of offshore experience, resulting in a huge skills base which is easily transferable to the green energy sector, Great Yarmouth also benefits from an ideal location which has ensured the town has long been the service capital for the southern North Sea.

Along with Lowestoft, Great Yarmouth has been designated as a Centre for Offshore Renewable Engineering by the government – one of only six such centres in the UK.

Now we are seeing something of an infrastructure revolution which will back up Yarmouth’s strong claim to be the epicentre of the green energy revolution.  The town already has the outer harbour; and soon it will have its third river crossing.

Beacon Park, in the heart of the Enterprise Zone, has become a leading centre of excellence for offshore engineering, enabling local firms to expand into bigger, better premises, and attracting offshore businesses from other parts of the country.  I can’t be the only one to have noticed how many Scottish lorries you see on the A47 laden with oddly-shaped cargoes covered with tarpaulins.

The latest in this infrastructure boom is Great Yarmouth Energy Park, a 50 acre dedicated business park for those in the energy and port industries situated in South Denes, right next to the river port and the outer harbour.

This joint initiative between Great Yarmouth Borough Council and Norfolk County Council aims to unlock and accelerate development opportunities and take advantage of the business opportunities generated by the East Anglia Array Windfarm, as well as future green energy initiatives.

All of this means there will be great opportunities for investors in commercial property in Great Yarmouth over the coming months and years.  At a time of economic uncertainty, that is the kind of news we all want to hear – right here in Norfolk.