A bid to transform vacant brownfield land in a coastal town with 350 new homes has received a major funding boost.
A Government grant worth more than £4.2million has been awarded to East Suffolk Council to help pave the way for a waterfront regeneration scheme in south Lowestoft.
The £4,203,800 grant "will help cover the cost of land remediation" at the former Sanyo and Survitec manufacturing sites on School Road.
It comes after the land on the south side of Lake Lothing, Lowestoft was previously acquired by Waveney District Council - the predecessor to East Suffolk - in 2018, having stood vacant since 2009.
The area known as Kirkley Waterfront forms part of the Sustainable Urban Neighbourhood scheme that was adopted in May 2013 and focuses on regenerating the area to provide housing and jobs for local people.
Back in 2012, the then Waveney District Council unveiled a vision to transform nearly 150 acres of waterfront land in south Lowestoft - with the 19-acre former Sanyo TV factory site earmarked for redevelopment with up to 350 new homes.
Sanyo had opened its Lowestoft factory, in School Road, in 1982 and at its peak about 800 people worked at the site.
But the company's Japanese bosses closed the factory in 2009 with the loss of 60 jobs.
With the £4,203,800 grant to help transform the vacant brownfield land into much needed future housing, it forms part of the second phase of a £180m Brownfield Land Release Fund (BLRF) designed to unlock sites across the country for new homes.
A council spokesman said: "The work will enable preparation for future development of plans which include the construction of 350 new homes at the former Sanyo and Survitec manufacturing sites."
'Good news'
After investigation work and utilities studies have been carried out with financial support from Homes England, sponsored by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, it will see remediation and housing development proposals planned to be progressed between 2023 and 2026.
A council spokesman added: "The BLRF grant will go towards site clearance, demolition, removal of tanks and below ground services, removal of contamination, asbestos, hydrocarbons and ground gas monitoring."
Welcoming the funding boost, David Beavan, East Suffolk council's cabinet member for housing said: "This is good news.
"Lowestoft’s industrial past can be transformed into much needed housing which is as affordable and as sustainable as we can make it.
“Record homelessness needs more housing, which is better on brownfield than greenfield sites.
"We just need funding for the tidal barrier now to allow this project to go full steam ahead."
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