Great Yarmouth's Time and Tide Museum has taken its first step towards a major redevelopment after successfully submitting an expression of interest to the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Working Group members were briefed on the plans at their March meeting, though officers stressed the project is still in its early stages and would take several years to complete.

The museum, which recorded 30,000 visitors in 2025/26, has been riding a wave of success following its Miffy 70th Birthday exhibition. Managers are now looking beyond temporary shows towards longer-term improvements to the building and its offer.

Alongside the redevelopment plans, the museum is also deepening a partnership with the University of East Anglia to produce a short animated film retelling the story of the historic Gloucester warship — told from the perspective of a ship's rat.

A new permanent schools session on Ancient Greece for Year 5 pupils has also been added to the museum's learning programme, developed in direct response to requests from local teachers.

Looking ahead, the museum's next temporary exhibition — Pirates! Fact and Fiction — runs until 5 September, followed by The Art of Roller-Skating from 26 September, which will celebrate Great Yarmouth's local roller-skating heritage and is expected to draw visitors through the winter months.