Business leaders meet flood experts at Great Yarmouth town hall to discuss tidal defences
Work underway on the Yarmouth Tidal defence project at Bryants Wharf last year. Photo: Nick Butcher - Credit: Nick Butcher
Business leaders are due to meet with flooding experts to discuss protecting Great Yarmouth from the sea.
At a town hall business breakfast due to be held tomorrow morning efforts to refurbish Great Yarmouth's vital tidal defences will be on showcase.
The tidal defences along the River Yare are central to business operations: they are key to reducing the flood risk to valuable business bases, stock and equipment, in addition to the homes of thousands of staff and customers, and to the highways and other infrastructure that keep everything running.
The defences are important in attracting and sustaining business investment and jobs in key industries that are essential to the borough's prosperity.
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The Environment Agency has a plan to refurbish the defences in five-year phases over the coming decades, with the first phase now complete. The second phase of work is to refurbish 2.65km of defences over the next five years. So far, £21m in funding has been secured, but further funding is required for this phase to proceed
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Lobbying efforts are spearheaded by the Tidal Defences Business Partnership, a business-led group, which invited businesses to attend the business breakfast held at Great Yarmouth Town Hall on April 7.
Information about opportunities for their own businesses and get free advice on flood resilience will be available.
John Clare, chairman of the Business Partnership, said: 'Everyone benefits from Great Yarmouth's tidal defences, which is why businesses have formed the Tidal Defences Business Partnership: a group of businesses, of various sizes, sectors and locations, which is working closely with Great Yarmouth Borough Council and the Environment Agency to help move the refurbishment works forward as quickly as possible.
'Together, we have made important progress. Our own study shows that investment in the tidal defences will enable Great Yarmouth to realise its full economic potential and unlock huge opportunities for businesses. But this can only happen if businesses assist in lobbying and levering in funding from every possible source.'
For more information or to join the tidal defences business partnership, contact Bernard Harris on bernard.harris@great-yarmouth.gov.uk or 01493 846512.
