Great Yarmouth's old Palmers building to get new facade

The old Palmers building which opened in 1837 is being converted into the town's new public library, adult education centre and community hub.

On Monday, people involved in the development visited the building - now known as The Place - to check on progress.

The former department store closed in 2020 after trading in Great Yarmouth for 183 years.

Carl Smith, leader of Great Yarmouth Borough Council, and Bruce Sturrock, former Palmers manager, outside the old department store. (Image: Sonya Duncan) In recent months, electricians have been fitting out the building with wires, lights and sockets, while work has also started on flooring.

The old shop front has been removed ahead of the arrival, and then the installation, of the new facade. That job is expected to begin this week. 

It is hoped The Place will open by late spring next year.

In recent months electricians have been fitting out the old Palmers building in Great Yarmouth with lights, wires and sockets. (Image: Sonya Duncan) Work in the building has uncovered parts of the old Rows that vanished when Palmers was built piecemeal by joining other smaller buildings together.

In the room that will serve as the venue for civil registrations, there are large stained glass windows.

Stained glass windows overlook the future venue for civil registration ceremonies in The Place in Great Yarmouth. (Image: Sonya Duncan) The ground floor will hold the library, the first floor will have classrooms for adult education and the third storey will be for nursing students.

Once the doors are opened, it is estimated around 500 students will enrol for degree and diploma courses offered by East Coast College and the University of Suffolk.

There will also be access to higher education and adult learning courses.

Natasha Hayes, executive director of place at the borough council, said: "People will be able walk into the library on day one and see what's on offer, and after a period of years, they will get a degree."

READ MORE: Norfolk power station given permission to generate more electricity

A tour of the future students' lounge at The Place in Great Yarmouth. (Image: Sonya Duncan) Carl Smith, leader of Great Yarmouth Borough Council, said: "We had to buy this building. We couldn't have left a building like that, with so much history, left empty.

"It will be a win-win for the town centre and a building so many people in Yarmouth love.

"It's a brand new modern facility in an iconic building where you have the old and the new coming together."

A section of the medieval Rows uncovered during work at the former Palmers building in Great Yarmouth. (Image: Sonya Duncan) READ MORE: Take a look inside Great Yarmouth's former Palmers store

Some of the building's key features will be preserved, including windows adorned with Palmers' signature "P", an atrium, and a doorway once belonging to Row 54 which had been built over during the expansion of the former department store.

Among those visiting the site was Bruce Sturrock, the last of the Palmer family to manage the department store before it was sold to Beales in 2018.

He said: "It's absolutely fantastic. If it wasn't going to be a shop anymore, you couldn't ask for a better use."

Bruce Sturrock, former Palmers manager, visiting the building during its £17m transformation on October 14. (Image: Sonya Duncan) As well as the library and education rooms, The Place will be home to a registry office and other community services such as Citizens Advice. 

Funding for the £17m project was provided by the Government's Town Deal and Future High Streets Fund, with East Coast College and the University of Suffolk also contributing £3.5m and Norfolk County Council £2m.

Morgan Sindall is in charge of the redevelopment's construction, with the majority of the labour used from within 20 miles.

It is hoped The Place will open in late spring 2025. (Image: Sonya Duncan)

READ MORE: Memories of Palmers Department Store in Great Yarmouth

Palmers had stood proudly overlooking the town's market place since 1837, growing from a small draper's shop to a chain employing 400 staff with a turnover of £40m at its height.

In 2018, the department store was taken over by department store chain Beales.

FLASHBACK: Former Palmers employee Judith Allen inside the department store's cafe. (Image: Newsquest Archives) But in January 2020, that retailer slid into administration before announcing plans to shut 12 of its 23 outlets.

Palmers in Great Yarmouth official closed in March 2020.

FLASHBACK: Bruce Sturrock outside Palmers department store. (Image: Newsquest Archives)