Great Yarmouth: Transformation of derelict Palmers department store begins

Hoardings currently cover the old shop windows of the former Palmers Department Store in Great Yarmouth

A £15.5m transformation of a derelict department store into a library and learning centre has begun.

Palmers on Great Yarmouth's Market Place opened in 1837 and closed in March 2020.

The building was bought by Great Yarmouth Borough Council using Future High Street Fund money after Palmers' parent company, Beales, went into administration.

Contractors have pledged to use local apprentices on the project.

Scaffolding has begun to go up around the building - which dates back to the medieval period.

The renovation has revealed a stained glass window and skylight which will provide a focal point for the children's library

An array of historical architectural features and fittings were found while cleaning and stripping back the building in 2022.

Once complete it will house the town's library and classrooms for courses run by East Coast College and the University of Suffolk.

Natasha Hayes, the council's executive director of place, said the works were expected to last for 13 months before the site was handed over to the university and college.

She said: "It's a really ambitious time scale.

"We have done as much as we can to try to de-risk this project, so you can see the strip out has happened. We've found out the quirks of the building and what may or may not go wrong.

"I'm sure it's got some little gems for us waiting, but generally speaking we are ready to hit the ground running."

Natasha Hayes from the borough council says the project timescale is "ambitious"

Warren Salmons, the business development manager for the main contractor Morgan Sindall, said they are confident they won't be hit by soaring costs and a lack of available materials to complete the job.

"It's always a challenge with construction," he said.

"One of the fundamental issues within our industry is skills.

"This project is quite labour intensive our connections with local colleges and apprentices are going to be really important."