Welcome
Williamson's Lookout
In 2006 a group of people headed by Margaret and Norman Ward formed a group called Operation Williamson's Lookout...OWL.
Meetings were held and the Council agreed to help towards improving a badly needed small green area, which was entered from High Road and lead down to Riverside Road.
Plans were drawn up and funds were obtained (mainly through the efforts of Margaret and Norman Ward) for the work to be completed. The group had a large say regarding the outlay of the scheme.
Eventually is was completed and is now a well tended green area for residents and visitors to use, with a good view of the river looking North although the view south has been blocked by a large building:
Great Yarmouth Mercury, Peggotty's Porthole August 27th 2009:
" Recently I ventured to the grassed slopes (Williamson's Lookout) opposite that attractive ex-mansion, Koolunga, seeking the Yare views enjoyed by my distant predecessor. A circular platform with a river outlook has been built recently jutting from the slope, but I was disappointed to find that a house being built or renovated stretching from High Road down to Riverside Road has blocked much of the southern aspect."
All went well for a while until the vandals decided it was a good place to wreck. It was dark at night and there is nothing better than a dark place for cowards to carry out their heinous crimes (beware those who decide it's agood idea to turn out street lights to save money, it is very false economy) For some reason they decided it would be a good idea to ruin the benches and signs with graffiti, break new saplings and push over two lights that had been placed there. The lights were reinstalled twice and then cased in concrete. When they couldn't push them over they then smashed the lights. They have not been reinstalled. The council replanted the trees and removed the graffiti. The police were informed and for a while things went quiet. Locals picked up the KFC packs and beer tins etc left there regularly, obviously vandals would not use the waste bins provided( they did try to set fire to one of the waste bins but a local spotted it and put it out before any damage was done)The new trees flourished but not for long. In January 2010 one was completely broken off at the base, a couple of weeks later another one was decimated. It will cost at least £125 to replace each tree. What sort of deranged mind kills a beautiful growing tree? What sort of people are roaming our streets?
If you see it happening in your area, don't ignore it, don't think you can do nothing about it....REPORT IT! The police and the council can't help if you don't give them the information. They will certainly help if you ask for help.
Safer Neighbourhood Team Gorleston Telephone 0845 456 4567
Environmental Ranger Service Telephone 01493 846478
Environmental Rangers provide a front line response to issues of enviro-crime throughout the Borough.