Council exploring repair options for prominent Cromer building

Date published: 6th October 2023

The Council is exploring options for maintenance work at the Rocket House, located on Cromer East Promenade.

Over £1 million from the Council’s capital works budget has been allocated for repairs to the building to address issues such as damp, and some routine maintenance, including works to the lift which is nearing the end of its operational life and will require eventual replacement.

Leader of the Council, Cllr Tim Adams said:

“These are standard repairs for a building that comes with the Rocket House’s vulnerabilities - it’s not uncommon for a building with the added vulnerability of being between a cliff and the North Sea to require some of the routine works proposed and we are working with our tenants to agree a programme of works to address these.

The building’s tenants - the RNLI Henry Blogg Museum, the Rocket House Café and the public conveniences - remain open and trading as the Council undertakes these works, to ensure the building remains at the standard the Council expects, ahead of more advanced assessments internally.

The Rocket House remains a popular feature along Cromer’s seafront, which the Council is committed to protecting.”

The building has experienced two major incidents, with two storm surges in 2007 and 2013 and has undergone routine maintenance to features such as the lift and toilets.

As part of the Council’s 2030 Net Zero aims, further work will be undertaken at the Rocket House to improve energy and thermal efficiency.

The Council is seeking more technical reports on the building, to achieve the Net Zero aims and further information on any improvement works that might be required.