12 CONTEXT 175 : MARCH 2023 DARREN BARKER Conserving Great Yarmouth’s cultural heritage Great Yarmouth Preservation Trust owns and manages a portfolio of historic properties, bringing them back into use, and building skills and employment opportunities. Great Yarmouth grew from the North Sea on a shingle spit, and over the centuries has developed a multi-layered relationship and dependency on the sea. This unique interaction manifested itself through the fishing industry, ship building, navigation, international trade, the navy, immigration and as a vibrant seaside resort. Maritime heritage resonates in our buildings, dialect, songs, stories, dance, and cuisine. In the townscape one can still appreciate thatYarmouth is an ancient town, with a medieval core enclosed by two miles of town wall, defensive towers and hundreds of narrow alleyways called rows. An enduring connection with the sea has shaped our identity and created a special sense of place. Many traditional industries have disappeared, leaving tourism as Yarmouth’s single biggest business sector, representing 29 per cent of the district’s employment. More recently, the development of renewable energy sources, especially offshore wind power, has created future opportunities and opened new chapters in the town’s relationship with the sea. Founded in 1979, GreatYarmouth Preservation Trust exists to preserve, safeguard and promote the cultural heritage of the borough. The trust owns and manages a portfolio of historic properties, bringing them back into use in ways that meet the needs of today’s residents, businesses and visitors, building skills and employment opportunities locally, and ensuring that historic buildings and spaces are maintained for the long term. Using mortgages from Great Yarmouth Borough Council, the trust acquires at-risk assets and undertakes comprehensive repair, creating viable and sustainable end uses. The council requires robust business plans demonstrating a viable end use for each property, with sufficient income generated to service the loans. This approach has led to the creation of a gallery with artists’ studios attached, a community hub, a cafe, holiday lets in medieval towers, hairdressers, office spaces and high-quality, affordable housing. Since 2010, projects have generated £11.3 million for the local economy, removed 12 buildings from the buildings-at-risk register, created 25 residential units, delivered over 40,000 training hours, recruited 644 volunteers and led to 12 complementary projects. The trust manages the homes it delivers directly, and holds a lengthy waiting list for its residential property. In Great Yarmouth educational attainment is below the regional and national average, so Learning building skills at a workshop run by the Great Yarmouth Preservation Trust in the village of Karpachevo, Bulgaria.
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