The Partnership was established in 1997 to work with all stakeholders to make Great Yarmouth Town Centre a more vibrant and attractive place to work, shop and live. The Town Centre Partnership (TCP) is a not-for-profit organisation funded by local businesses and supported by Great Yarmouth Borough Council, Norfolk Police and Norfolk County Council. In 2006, town centre businesses voted in favour of the formation of a Business Improvement District (BID), which led to the formation of the Great Yarmouth Business Improvement District (gyBID) in 2006 which has been renewed three times since and currently has a mandate to deliver the projects and initiatives summarised below until 2026.
The objectives of the Great Yarmouth Town Centre Partnership are straightforward enough with the main elements being around promoting a Clean & Safe and Friendly town centre:
A Clean and Safe town centre
The GY BID funded crime reduction initiatives have given businesses the tools to tackle retail crime and the reduce the vulnerability of their staff to violence. The ShopSafe scheme, incorporating a retail radio link, exclusion scheme, direct support for the CCTV control room and the information sharing ‘Disc Crime Management’ database, has been awarded national accreditation by the National Business Crime Centre, a Secured by Design official police security initiative. During the current BID term, the Town Centre Partnership has agreed an Information Sharing Agreement (ISA) with Norfolk Police allowing them to share with our members, through the Disc Crime Management tool, information and images of offenders, criminal behaviour orders, wanted and missing persons. Since the start of the fourth BID term in 2021, the Great Yarmouth CCTV system, which is also managed by the Town Centre Partnership, has been extended by an additional 31 public space CCTV cameras with funding from the Governments Safer Streets fund. The additional cameras installed in and around the town centre brings the total number of cameras monitored 24/7 from the Great Yarmouth CCTV control room to 91 providing a significant increase in coverage. The businesses participating in the ShopSafe scheme are supported by the GY BID funded town centre Street Wardens, enhancing the overall package whilst providing a visible re-assuring presence both to people working in and using town centre businesses. The street wardens, working closely with the town centre police patrols, CCTV Operators and Council enforcement officers have continued to tackle retail crime, anti-social behaviour, and environmental crime during the last five years of GY BID, promoting a safer and friendlier town centre for all stakeholders.
A Friendly town centre
Throughout the 5-year term of the Great Yarmouth Business Improvement District the aim has been to encourage additional visits to the town centre by delivering seasonal activities and annual events. As well as bringing in extra footfall these events have the potential to improve the visitor experience by contributing to a friendly and pleasant atmosphere to visit and shop, whilst positively influencing external perceptions of the town centre.
The significant redevelopment that has been delivered in the town centre during the current BID term, including the circa £6m redevelopment of the covered market, the circa £6m public realm redevelopment of the Market Place, the circa £2m improvements to the Market Gates bus interchange and the opening of the circa £18m new library, college and university learning centre in the former Palmers department store has limited the opportunity for outdoor events and entertainment. However, the Town Centre Partnership has continued to raise the profile of Great Yarmouth Town Centre by supporting events and activities to both promote visits and enhance the visitor experience for shoppers.
Events and marketing activities supported with funding from the BID during the last five years have included a mix of annual activities during crucial trading periods and school holidays including treasure trails, live entertainment, parades, craft fairs, and festivals. The peak festive trading period has been supported with a series of events including the 3-day Great Yarmouth Christmas Fayre and Market, the Christmas Lights Switch-on, a Norwegian Christmas Carol Concert and the community Christmas Lantern Parade. In addition to those events held regularly, the Partnership has been able to respond to national events and celebrations including organising street parties the Queen’s 70-year anniversary and the coronation of King Charles 3. As well as public events the Partnership has supported the Annual Town Centre Awards for the last five years, working with the Civic Society of Great Yarmouth to celebrate positivity and success amongst town centre businesses.
Further details of the gyBID projects and initiatives and the improvements they are bringing can be found can be found at http://www.gybid.co.uk and you can view a copy of our latest annual report here. Our members are all committed to ensuring that the town centre is the main focus of quality retailing and service in Great Yarmouth. Business members can log in at the top of this page to update their business details. For more information contact us.
