North Quay regeneration : frequently asked questions
1. Overview
What is being proposed?
The North Quay regeneration will be a mixed-use development with homes, retail units, a Leisure Box, a hotel and a car park. It is intended to provide homes, amenities and jobs in a sustainable way that meets the needs of Great Yarmouth.
Where is the location?
North Quay is to the east of the River Yare where it joins the River Bure. The scheme would extend Great Yarmouth town centre and open connections to the waterfront for visitors, businesses and residents.
How will people access the site?
Linked public spaces will connect the station, the car park, a pedestrianised retail street and an events square at the Leisure Box. A wide road crossing will connect the Conge to the town centre.
What is the catchment and tourism impact?
Around 40% of visitors are expected from Great Yarmouth and 60% from further afield. The scheme is expected to attract around two million visitors annually.
What is the expected opening date?
Subject to planning approval and the project has an expected opening date in Easter 2030.
End of section 1
2. Planning process and consultation
Has a planning application been submitted?
No. A formal planning application is expected in the second quarter of 2026.
How can local people have their say?
A consultation process will run before submission. Residents will be able to view proposals online, attend public events and submit comments to the council. Consultation updates will be signposted on the council webpages and promoted in the media and on social media.
Who will determine the application and what is the timeline?
Great Yarmouth Borough Council will determine the application. Subject to approval, construction is expected to commence in 2028, with first homes and retail units expected in Easter 2030.
End section 2
3. The project
What will be included?
About 70 stores, food and beverage outlets, a hotel and a Leisure Box with an IMAX-ready multi screen cinema and conferencing. The proposal includes up to 120 new homes with affordable housing.
What about listed buildings and design quality?
Listed buildings are incorporated. Homes will meet modern environmental and design standards. Objectives for heritage and character are available.
Who is the architect?
Holder Mathias Architects will lead the architecture project
What evidence supports the visitor numbers and footfall projections for the scheme?
The projected visitor numbers are based on two things: the scale of Great Yarmouth's existing visitor economy, and the performance of comparable outlet‑and‑leisure destinations elsewhere in the UK.
Great Yarmouth already attracts around 7.5 million visitors a year. That is an unusually large tourism base for a town of its size, and it means the development is not trying to create demand from scratch but designed to capture and extend the spending of visitors who are already coming to the town for holidays, day trips, and leisure activities. Great Yarmouth is the third most visited seaside resort in England, with a visitor economy valued at over £600 million annually and against that backdrop, a forecast of two million visits per year to a new regional‑scale outlet and leisure village is proportionate.
Comparable outlet centres in towns with smaller or similar catchments regularly achieve annual footfall in the millions. Ashford Designer Outlet attracts between 3.5 and 4.5 million visits a year whilst Gloucester Quays has become one of the largest employment generators in its area, supported by strong visitor numbers. Portsmouth's Gunwharf Quays transformed the city's visitor profile and has become a major regional draw. These schemes demonstrate that outlet destinations consistently outperform traditional retail in footfall, dwell time and spend per visit.
The North Quay scheme is not just an outlet village. It includes a leisure box with I-Max ready cinema, competitive socialising, rooftop activities, a hotel, restaurants, and excellent public realm. Leisure‑led destinations typically see footfall uplifts of 20-30% compared with retail‑only schemes, and dwell times increase by one to two hours. The combination of outlet retail and leisure is what underpins the two‑million‑visits projection. It is not an aspirational number; it is a realistic figure based on how similar schemes perform and the strength of Great Yarmouth's existing visitor market.
What will be the impact of the development on existing businesses in the town centre?
The evidence prepared for the planning application shows that the direct retail impact on the town centre is very small. The retail impact assessment undertaken for the Council indicates that the diversion of spend from existing town‑centre businesses is around 1.7%. That is a very low level of impact for a scheme of this scale, and it reflects the fact that outlet retail operates differently from traditional high‑street retail.
Outlet centres sell discounted branded goods, and they rely on regional catchments and tourism rather than everyday local shopping. Town centres, by contrast, rely on convenience retail, independent shops, services, cafés, and full‑price high‑street brands. Because the two formats serve different purposes, they do not compete directly for the same spend.
The wider impact on the town centre is expected to be positive. The scheme is designed to increase the number of people coming into Great Yarmouth, extend their dwell time, and encourage linked trips between the outlet village and the town centre. The improved connections via Vauxhall Bridge and The Conge are intended to make movement between the two areas seamless with evidence from other towns showing that outlet centres increase footfall in nearby centres when the links are strong. Ashford Borough Council has publicly stated that its outlet centre is a major draw that should be harnessed to support the town centre. Portsmouth City Council has described Gunwharf Quays as a catalyst for wider regeneration.
Why aren't vacant retail units in the town centre being used instead?
This question comes up frequently, and the answer is that the North Quay development is not something that can be delivered by filling empty shops. The outlet and leisure village requires large, flexible floorplates, open‑air streets, public squares, leisure, a hotel, structured parking, and a new riverfront walk. None of that can be accommodated within the fragmented pattern of vacant units in the existing town centre.
Outlet retail depends on purpose‑built units with consistent depths, servicing arrangements, and frontage, as well as a curated environment that creates a destination experience. The town centre's vacant units vary significantly in size, age, condition, and configuration, and they cannot be reconfigured to deliver the outlet model. The leisure box, car parking and hotel also require bespoke construction and cannot be retrofitted into existing buildings.
It is also important to recognise that the Council is already investing heavily in the town centre through other programmes. The new covered market, major public realm improvements, the Ice House, the Winter Gardens, and the university campus and library at The Place, as well as the planned regeneration of The Conge are all part of a strategy to strengthen the existing centre. The North Quay scheme is not a replacement for town‑centre regeneration; it is a complementary project that delivers something that the town centre physically cannot.
Finally, the North Quay site itself is a once‑in‑a‑generation opportunity. It is a large, under‑used waterfront site that can be transformed into a regional destination. The Council has described it as the most significant development opportunity in decades. Using vacant units instead would not unlock the same economic, social, or tourism benefits.
End section 3
4. Sustainability, environment and biodiversity
What are the sustainability ambitions?
The scheme targets a BREEAM Excellent rating and includes energy efficient designs, green roofs, cycle paths and electric vehicle charging points.
How will heritage and local character be respected?
The design will reflect materials and character seen in the Market Place, the Rows and the North Quay Conservation Area.
End section 4
5. Infrastructure and transport
Traffic, parking and public transport
Parking and traffic arrangements will be developed with the council and Norfolk County Council Highways. The site is near existing public transport routes and will be served by a hub on the B1141. On-site parking for up to 900 cars is planned. Connectivity and gateways are outlined.
Cycle provision
Cycle spaces will be provided in line with the scheme's green objectives. The exact number will be confirmed through design.
Will the development exacerbate existing traffic issues at the bell‑mouth junction on the Acle Straight?
Concerns about the Acle Straight are understandable, because the junction already experiences congestion at peak times and is a well‑known pressure point for local traffic. This issue has been considered from the outset, and several factors help explain why the development is not expected to worsen the situation in the way some residents fear.
Firstly, the masterplan and transport work undertaken during RIBA Stages 1 and 2 are based on the fact that the development sits directly adjacent to the railway station, The Conge, and the town‑centre road network. The transport strategy for the scheme is deliberately designed to reduce reliance on car travel where possible with the emphasis on improved pedestrian and cycle connections, a new riverwalk linking Acle Road Bridge to Haven Bridge, and enhanced routes between the station and the site. The station is immediately adjacent to the development, and the leisure and outlet village is intended to be a walk‑up destination for rail users, those arriving by bus, town‑centre visitors, and residents. This multimodal approach is part of the wider regeneration strategy and is intended to shift some trips away from car use.
Secondly, the planning process requires detailed modelling of traffic impacts, and the scheme has already been through early engagement with Norfolk County Council as the Local Highways Authority. The County Council will only support the scheme if the modelling demonstrates that the local network can accommodate the development without unacceptable impacts. If mitigation is required, it will be secured through planning conditions or Section 106 obligations. The development team has already anticipated this by including allowances for junction improvements and external works within the plan.
Thirdly, it is worth noting that we expect around 60%-70% of visitors to the development to come at the weekend, and not when the Acle Straight congestion tends to be at its peak, which is during the working week. Furthermore, the development will not open its doors until 10am in the morning, well after the morning rush hour peak.
The perception that the scheme will generate large volumes of new car traffic needs to be seen in context. The outlet and leisure village is expected to attract visitors who are already coming to Great Yarmouth, holidaymakers, day‑trippers, and residents, and redirect them to a new destination within the town. These trips already exist on the network and so all the development does is to change where they go, not whether they come. The net increase in traffic is therefore smaller than people often assume, and it is distributed across the town‑centre network rather than concentrated at the Acle Straight junction.
End section 5
6. Economic and social impact
Community benefits
New homes, amenities, leisure, green spaces, employment opportunities and infrastructure improvements will contribute to local vitality and resilience.
Town centre impact
The outlet is intended to complement existing retail and to encourage footfall to neighbouring areas and businesses.
Why introduce more retail when the high street is struggling and what is the difference between outlet retail and traditional retail?
This is a crucial distinction. The scheme is not adding more traditional retail; it is introducing a completely different retail format that performs strongly even when high streets are under pressure.
Traditional high‑street retail is built around full‑price goods, convenience shopping, and local catchments and is therefore sensitive to online competition and changes in consumer behaviour. Outlet retail, by contrast, is built around value, offering branded goods at 30-70% below recommended retail price. It attracts visitors from a much wider area, and it is driven by tourism, leisure, and destination appeal rather than everyday shopping.
Performance data shows that outlet centres have consistently outperformed traditional shopping centres over the last decade in sales growth, rent growth, and capital value. They also generate longer dwell times, higher spend per visit, and stronger repeat visitation. They are resilient because they offer something online retail cannot replicate in the form of branded goods at significant discounts, combined with leisure, food, and experience.
For Great Yarmouth, outlet retail is particularly well suited because of the town's tourism profile. Millions of visitors already come to the town each year, but their spend is not fully captured. An outlet and leisure village gives them a reason to stay longer, spend more, and return more frequently, strengthening the town's regional identity and supporting the wider visitor economy.
The question is not "why add more retail?" but "why add a retail format that works in coastal, tourist‑led economies and complements the existing high street?" The answer is that outlet retail is one of the few retail formats that continues to grow, and it brings new spend into the town rather than redistributing existing spend.
End section 6
7. Employment and skills
Jobs and training
The scheme is expected to create more than 500 construction jobs, over 600 jobs once complete and up to 400 jobs in support services. Many roles are expected to be filled locally.
End section 7
8. Tenants
Brands and leasing
A brand mix is being curated. Leasing negotiations are ongoing, so further details cannot be shared at this time.
End section 8
9. Investment and delivery
Developers and investment
Willmott Dixon and Rioja Estates. The project represents £100 million of local construction spend.
Origins of the opportunity
The Great Yarmouth Town Centre Masterplan 2017 identified North Quay as a key gateway and set the context for a mixed use approach.
Public interest and heritage
The scheme is designed to deliver long term benefits through new homes, public spaces, better infrastructure and job creation. The design will acknowledge North Quay's fishing heritage and the herring industry. Objectives for heritage and public realm are available on the council website.
How will the development be funded?
Private investment with possible council involvement as the landowner.
End section 9
10. Compulsory purchase orders
Why might CPOs be used and how will people be supported?
CPO powers may be considered if voluntary agreements cannot be reached. Negotiations are undertaken with people and businesses who have legal interests in affected land. Support will be provided wherever possible so that individuals and businesses can relocate successfully. The council's land assembly page provides detailed information and links to official guidance.
End section 10
