A 'neglected' area of Great Yarmouth will be regenerated after receiving £20m in government funding - with leaders saying the windfall will 'secure' the town's future.

The money, from the government's £2bn levelling-up fund, is expected to redevelop North Quay and transform the area around the town's railway station. 

Great Yarmouth Borough Council (GYBC) will provide £2.2m from its own budget to the project.

Carl Smith, leader of the borough council, said: "It's absolutely fantastic news for the regeneration of the North Quay gateway.

"We're absolutely delighted. It shows we'd put a strong case in."

Great Yarmouth Mercury: Carl Smith, leader of Great Yarmouth Borough Council, has said the £20m funding will secure the future of the town.Carl Smith, leader of Great Yarmouth Borough Council, has said the £20m funding will secure the future of the town. (Image: Archant)

He said there will be lots of work to do and that the regeneration will "not happen overnight".

After securing land in the area, the council will put the site out for procurement, with the expectation it will become a hub of retail, leisure and housing.

"It's a real prime site overlooking Breydon Water," Mr Smith said.

He added that it will bring jobs and economic growth to an area that "has been neglected for so long".  

The money will also fund some regeneration around the railway station for improved cycling and walking paths.

Along with the other projects taking place around the town, including the new marketplace, the third river crossing, the new university campus and work along the seafront, the levelling-up money is "securing the long-term future of Great Yarmouth", Mr Smith said.

"This is for the future generations, for the next 20, 30, 40 years of the borough," he added. 

Great Yarmouth Mercury: Brandon Lewis, MP for Great Yarmouth, said the £20m funding will help build a new gateway into the town.Brandon Lewis, MP for Great Yarmouth, said the £20m funding will help build a new gateway into the town. (Image: UK Parliament)

The council's bid for the funding had been backed by Brandon Lewis MP.

He said: “The news that the government has listened to my recommendation and awarded Great Yarmouth a massive £20 million is fantastic news and joins a long list of successful campaigns for funding.

“This investment will help to build a new gateway into the town and is another step forward in our campaign to level up Great Yarmouth.

"Our Conservative council has driven forward with a bold vision to improve our local area and has already delivered big projects like the new Marina Centre," he added.

There has previously been criticism that the East of England has missed out on money, compared to other parts of the country.