Lowestoft Sanyo factory site to be cleared for 350 homes

A council has been awarded £4.2m in government funding to help transform brownfield land into space for 350 homes.

East Suffolk Council (ESC) wants to develop the site of the former Sanyo television factory on the south side of Lake Lothing in Lowestoft.

The plot has been empty since 2009.

David Beavan, cabinet member for housing, said "Lowestoft's industrial past" could now be "transformed" to help address "record homelessness".

"This is good news," he added.

"We just need funding for the tidal barrier now to allow this project to go full steam ahead."

The government grant is part of the second phase of a £180m Brownfield Land Release Fund from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities - to help transform empty land across the UK into 6,000 homes.

The funding for Lowestoft would be used for site clearance, demolition and removing tanks, below ground services, asbestos and hydrocarbons, ESC said.

The site, in School Road in the Kirkley waterfront area, would be advertised to developers.

Electronics company Pye Ltd was the first to open a factory there in 1952 before it was later taken over by Japanese firm Sanyo.

About 3,500 staff worked there at its peak and former employee of 30 years Stephanie Barnard told BBC Radio Suffolk the site had become "a bit of an eyesore".

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