New plan to improve Gorleston seafront unveiled
More bins and better toilets are among ideas to improve the area
More bins and toilets could be needed to improve Gorleston’s seafront, a recently unveiled masterplan for the area has said.
The document, published by Great Yarmouth Borough Council (GYBC), states that it has been drawn up “with the purpose of guiding new investment and improvement opportunities” for Gorleston’s premier attraction.
Produced following two rounds of consultation with residents, it proposes to safeguard the area’s Edwardian character, including key buildings and features such as the Gorleston Pavilion Theatre and promenade.
Residents responding to GYBC’s consultation that one of the things they most liked about the town’s seafront was its lack of commercialisation, in contrast to Great Yarmouth’s seafront.
They said they were less happy with the low number of available bins, the lack of disabled access to the beach and there not being enough toilet facilities, particularly at the southern end of the promenade.
To protect the town’s heritage, the council suggests potentially imposing a set of directives known as ‘Article 4’, which tightens the rules on alterations that can be made to buildings across a certain area.
When it comes to bins, the document points out that the traditional-style litter bins which currently line the seafront are “labour intensive to empty, especially during peak season”.
It proposes a “review of bin size, location, and capacity to ensure we can effectively deal with seasonal increases in litter and give the opportunity recycle on-the-go litter”.
To improve the seafront’s accessibility, it suggests the potential installation of a fully accessible boardwalk from the lower promenade stretching toward the sea – and to provide independent-use beach wheelchairs, like the scheme that operates at Yarmouth’s beach.
Although the document admits that it could be costly to provide more toilet facilities in the area, it says that a case could be made for them if more beach huts are proposed along the seafront.
In addition, it suggests that a separate review be conducted into how best to improve the town’s clifftop, which currently hosts a public park, tennis courts, play area, bowling green and putting green.
The document was adopted by GYBC at a meeting of the council’s policy and resources committee on Tuesday, December 6 – meaning that it will be used as a reference tool by the authority to help shape how the area develops.