Great Yarmouth businesses in the Great Yarmouth borough attended a special celebration of the local economy, which was hosted by the council leader, Cllr Graham Plant, at the Town Hall on Tuesday, December 15th 2015.

The Leader’s Reception, held in the Assembly Room, saw more than 100 guests from local businesses and other partner organisations take the opportunity to review the borough’s key achievements over the last 12 months, and look forward to future growth, investment and development.

Cllr Plant, whose responsibilities include economic development, gave a speech and presentation to expand on the highlights. He was followed by guest speaker David Rowland, of ScottishPower Renewables, who gave a talk on the East Anglia ONE Offshore Windfarm.

There was also the presentation of a special paperweight to Andy Stubbings, the managing director at Itron, in recognition of his passion and commitment to engaging with local young people, seeking to enthuse them to pursue careers in engineering and electronics.

Cllr Plant said: “This annual event is always well attended and is an opportunity for guests to network, while celebrating everything the borough council and its partners, including businesses themselves, have achieved during the last year to support sustainable growth, the prosperity of residents and the long-term aspirations for the borough.

“Much has been achieved during 2015, including at Beacon Park, the town centre and the seafronts, and I look forward to another year of investment and development, which will bring further benefits that meet public priorities, including jobs, new homes and facilities.”

In his speech, Cllr Plant remarked on the celebrations this year for the 50^th anniversary of the discovery of gas in the Southern North Sea and said that Great Yarmouth remained well placed, with its extensive expertise, to remain a capital of the offshore energy sector over the coming decades.

He looked forward to future opportunities arising from offshore wind, including from the Dudgeon Offshore Wind Farm which has based its operations and maintenance operations in the borough, the East Anglia ONE and Galloper Wind Farms, and the newly-established £1m decommissioning facility at the Outer Harbour.

Cllr Plant reviewed the success of Beacon Park, part of the Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft (New Anglia) Enterprise Zone, which is targeted at the energy sector and is enabling new jobs and growth thanks to investment by the owner, the borough council, Government and businesses.

During 2015, a number of businesses, mostly in the energy sector supply chain, had moved onto the park in the Enterprise Zone, which was being extended and was also better connected thanks to the recently-opened A12/A143 link road.

Cllr Plant praised the work of enterpriseGY, the borough council’s business support service. Having helped create 200 businesses over the last two years, new funding secured from the Coastal Communities Fund had expanded the scope of the programme, which culminated with the Spirit of Enterprise Awards last month.

He recalled the borough council’s additional efforts, through the Town Centre Initiative, to support the town centre during 2015, including a spring clean, the free weekend car parking trial, and enhanced events, including the real ice rink in the Market Square.

Other successes mentioned in his speech include the festivals and other events organised or supported by the new Greater Yarmouth Tourism and Business Improvement Area and the borough council, as well as the £3m private sector refurbishment of Havenbridge House, the launch of the Tidal Defences Business Partnership, and progress with the Great Yarmouth Energy Park.

Notes:

• The borough council’s Economic Development Unit works throughout the year to support businesses and the economy in the Great Yarmouth borough. As part of this service, Stephanie Pimlott, the business liaison and development officer, visits businesses regularly to inform them about developments in the borough, business grants and support available.

• enterpriseGY, based at The Conge, Great Yarmouth, is a borough council-supported and CCF-funded programme for start-up and existing businesses in Great Yarmouth offering business support, business advice and training.

• The Coastal Communities Fund (CCF) aims to encourage the economic development of UK coastal communities by awarding funding to create sustainable economic growth and jobs. The Big Lottery Fund is delivering the CCF on behalf of UK Government and the Devolved Administrations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

www.great-yarmouth.gov.uk

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