Homeowners fear being forced out by redevelopment plan

Cyril Smith is among those that live in an area earmarked for regeneration

Homeowners living in a part of town earmarked for regeneration said they risk being forced from their homes and "priced out of the market".

Great Yarmouth Borough Council wants to redevelop North Quay, close to the town's railway station, and have been given £20m of levelling up money to prepare the 10-acre (four-hectare) site for development.

The council said regenerating the area offered the "most significant development opportunity in a generation".

However, homeowners say their properties have been valued too low and they cannot find "like-for-like" homes nearby.

LISTEN: Great Yarmouth man fears being forced out of home

Cyril Smith, 83, moved to North Quay in 1998 and said he had spent tens of thousands of pounds restoring the property.

Last year, he received a "voluntary purchase of property offer" from the council, which, if he did not accept, would become a compulsory purchase order (CPO).

He said he was "heartbroken" at the idea of being told to leave his home.

"I lost my wife in June and I got the letter in August," he said. "I'm still grieving and I couldn’t take it in."

Mr Smith's home (far right) is among about a dozen homes on North Quay

Mr Smith's four-bedroom listed property was independently valued by a company on behalf of the council at £190,000.

He was also offered £19,000 as a 'home loss payment' and £9,500 as an additional financial incentive.

His letter stated that the additional financial incentive would be withdrawn if the property was acquired by a CPO.

"If I can move from here and into another property with my possessions which is like-for-like I wouldn't have any qualms," Mr Smith added.

"But they [the council] aren't doing that because I can't find another property on the market at the value that they've offered me."

Mr Smith said he wanted to remain close to the town centre, his family and amenities.

The estimated cost to design and deliver the regeneration of North Quay is £65m

Sheila Oxtoby, the council's chief executive, said: "It's a negotiation... but we're also conscious that where we're dealing with property and homeowners, this is somebody's home so we're taking a considerate approach.

"We'll look at each property individually and we'll provide housing advice and assistance as far as we can."

The council said anyone affected by the proposed development would have the opportunity to object to both the planning application, when it is submitted and, if appropriate, to the council's decision to use its CPO powers.

It also said that homeowners were able to appoint their own surveyor or solicitor, which the council would pay for, so they could receive independent advice.

Regenerating North Quay was proposed by Great Yarmouth Borough Council in its local plan report in 2015, with a more detailed supplementary planning document published in 2020.

The council said it wanted a "comprehensive and high-quality regeneration scheme at North Quay" to deliver a new urban quarter that linked the railway station with the town centre.

The regeneration of North Quay could start in 2026, the authority added.