More awards for town’s £2.7m renovation of historic Waterways
The grand reopening of the Venetian Waterways and Boating Lake, Great Yarmouth. Picture: Jamie Honeywood - Credit: Archant
Great Yarmouth's recently-restored historic Venetian Waterways have gone on to win two more awards only months after opening to the public.
Claire Sullivan and Stacy Cosham with contractors Blakedown at the awardsPicture: Chris Morgan - Credit: Archant
The £2.7m renovation was led by Great Yarmouth Borough Council, in partnership with Great Yarmouth Preservation Trust and with key support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership and the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). The main works were completed between June 2018 and August 2019 by community groups, volunteers and the council's main contractor Blakedown Landscapes.
Now, the Waterways has won both the Principal Award in the Large Regeneration Scheme category, plus a Special Award for Best Community Involvement at the BALI National Landscape Awards 2019.
The BALI Awards, organised by the British Association of Landscape Industries, celebrate the skills, hard work, dedication and achievements of BALI Registered members and are the largest landscape awards in Europe. The awards recognise quality landscape design, construction and the maintenance in both the UK and overseas.
This comes after the Waterways won the Green Flag Award and Green Heritage Site Accreditation in July. Those who receive the Green Flag Award must demonstrate their ability to maintain a valuable space with a clear idea of what they are trying to achieve and why, plus who they are aiming to serve.
Great Yarmouth's newly restored Waterways and Boating Lake will feature in Michael Portillo's new series Great British Railway Journeys Picture: GYBC - Credit: GYBC
Graham Plant, chairman of the borough council's economic development committee, said: "To have won three awards in such a short space of time is a massive honour to those who worked tirelessly to restore the Waterways to its current high standards.
"Anyone who has visited the Waterways since its reopening will have seen how much hard work has gone into restoring it. As the planting scheme matures and our dedicated volunteers continue to work on the refurbishment, the Waterways will be further enhanced as a very special place for locals and tourists alike."
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The restoration has been funded by a £1.7m National Lottery grant awarded through The National Lottery Heritage Fund and The National Lottery Community Fund, plus further funding from the borough council, New Anglia LEP and Central Government (MHCLG). In addition, volunteers have so far contributed 2,000 hours, with the community continuing the restoration over the coming years as the project moves to the legacy phase
Great Yarmouth's newly restored Waterways and Boating Lake will feature in Michael Portillo's new series Great British Railway Journeys Picture: GYBC - Credit: GYBC
