Whole Settlement Strategy
CROMER
March 2003
NORTH
NORFOLK
DISTRICT COUNCIL
Cromer Whole Settlement Strategy
INTRODUCTION
This strategy is the product of an extensive public participation exercise carried out in
2001 (details of this are given at the back of this report). The Strategy outlines:
The roles that the town fulfills - including the perceptions of the nature of the town and
its various functions and services.
The issues that need to be addressed - relating to the physical environment, the
economy, the community and social life of the town.
Broad aims for the future development of the town - focused on addressing land-use
issues.
Objectives that will help to achieve those aims - established from the consideration of
various options.
North Norfolk District Council has adopted the Strategy as Council Policy to guide the
future development of Cromer. It will be followed-up by detailed policies and proposals in t h e
review of the North Norfolk Local Plan (planning land use and development up to
2011).
SUMMARY
Cromer was identified as fulfilling many different roles: it is both a resort town and a service centre to a
relatively wide hinterland, including numerous villages. It has the basic services and employment
opportunities to be relatively self-sufficient but in other respects it is more reliant upon neighbouring
towns and Norwich, e.g. for shopping and leisure activities.
The attractive environment and the historic identity of the
town and its hinterland are crucial assets. During the
summer season many tourists and day-trippers come from
a wide area to visit the town but there is little to draw
people all year round. It also struggles to attract people
from nearby towns, except perhaps for weekly food
shopping and the cinema. Both the quality and range of
community and recreational facilities are limited,
particularly for young people, as are employment
opportunities.
There is insufficient housing of the right type, price and
quality to meet local needs, particularly young families,
though there is a high demand for accommodation for
retired people.
Essentially the aims and objectives seek to create a more
prosperous town with a sustainable future and a balanced
population structure, restoring its function as a principal
market town and holiday resort in North Norfolk.
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Cromer Whole Settlement Strategy
ROLES
Environment
Both the natural and built environment in the town and
its environs are recognised as being of a high standard
and a major asset in terms of:
the quality of life of the residents of the area;
a visitor attraction; and
an attraction to investment in the area.
Although Cromer has many fine historic buildings, the
overall impression of its centre is of a faded Victorian
resort, which is rather run-down and shabby. Together
with this, the lack of many high-quality modern
buildings presents the image of a town ‘living in the
past’.
The landscape surrounding Cromer is recognised as
being of high quality, although blighted somewhat by
exposed caravan sites along the coast.
Housing
Cromer has a reasonably large resident population but,
together with the surrounding area, also has many
second homes and holiday homes. It is becoming
increasingly popular as a ‘retirement town’ and people
also thought there was a lot of cheap (maybe substandard) accommodation occupied by benefits
claimants.
Employment
Although the District Council is a major employer and
there are several significant ‘home grown’ industries
(e.g. Cromer Crab Company Limited) the local
economy is also heavily dependant on low-wage
employment sectors such as the tourism and care
industries.
Whilst the town does attract some commuters it was
felt also that a number of people commute from the
area to jobs in North Walsham and Norwich.
The town's fishing industry has declined but is
nevertheless important, not least to the image and
character of the town.
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Cromer Whole Settlement Strategy
Community Facilities and Infrastructure
Cromer has a good range of facilities to cater for the
needs of the community (e.g. the hospital, other
healthcare provision, the schools and the library).
Cromer has relatively good public transport provision
(especially the rail link to Norwich) and its centre is fairly
accessible by car.
Recreation & Entertainment
Cromer has a good range of facilities for sport,
recreation and entertainment for a town of its size,
however, many of them are geared towards tourists and
elderly residents and it has few facilities to meet the
demands of young people, who tend to go to Norwich or
Sheringham for leisure-time activities.
Shopping
Whilst Cromer has a large number of shops, cafes etc. in
its town centre (relative to its size) feedback suggested
that Cromer was not a good place to shop and as a
commercial centre has little to attract people from any
distance. Although it has a weekly market it was not
considered to be a traditional ‘market town’. The
Safeway and Rainbow food stores inevitably draw trade
from a wider catchment although these stores are both
too far from the centre to encourage linked-trips to be
made.
Tourism
Cromer was once a very popular seaside tourist
destination but that role has now declined. Whilst it is
still considered to be a resort town it does not offer the
attractions for holidaymakers that are available
elsewhere (especially abroad).
It was considered to be a main holiday destination only
for elderly people and people seeking ‘cheap holidays’,
and even for them only during the summer months.
Cromer does attract day-trippers and short-stay visitors
but the season is limited and its main attractions require
fine weather.
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Cromer Whole Settlement Strategy
ISSUES
Environment
It is important to maintain historic identity, especially
local distinctiveness.
The church and churchyard are valuable focal points
but the town lacks any sort of civic centre or meeting
place.
Cromer relies on its high-quality landscape and
allowing it to sprawl could jeopardise the economy of
the town as well as its intrinsic value.
Housing
There are large, expensive houses and small, basic
flats but there is not enough suitable/affordable
housing for young families on low incomes.
There should be better-quality social housing.
Providing for retirement need not be seen as a
negative thing; its benefits, such as job creation,
should be exploited.
The vast majority of schoolchildren said they would
like to move away from Cromer when they leave
home.
Employment
There are few employment opportunities that are
likely to be attractive to school-leavers. Sixty-two
percent of children stated that they would like to leave
the area once they finish their schooling; at least one
quarter of these stated that this was because they felt
their were few opportunities for them.
Because young people have to leave the area to
improve their education and skills and many do not
return, it is difficult to attract higher-skilled and better
paying industries.
It was felt important to support the traditional
industries in the town but also to provide the
opportunities for modern information technology and
technical industries.
There is relatively high long-term unemployment and a
mismatch of skills and opportunities.
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Cromer Whole Settlement Strategy
Community Facilities and Infrastructure
Plans to redevelop/relocate the hospital should not mean a loss of
any services but improvements in healthcare provision overall.
The town lacks more modern facilities like a cyber café, youth
activities and a Citizens’ Advice Bureau.
The bus station is unsuitable, ‘run down’ and unattractive. It was
thought, particularly by the schoolchildren, to feel threatening.
People felt that the bus station need not be on a site within the town
centre.
Recreation and Entertainment
Children and adults felt that there is not enough for young people to
do in the town. Whilst there are formal facilities, there are few ‘open
access’ areas with facilities for skateboarding, basketball or sheltered
areas for just ‘hanging out’.
Children use the promenade and boating lake for skateboarding but
this creates conflicts.
The arcades are used as places to hang out because of the lack of a
proper youth centre.
Many people thought the cinema was a major asset to the town and
that more facilities of this standard were needed. Children in
particular identified the need for a swimming-pool/leisure complex.
North Lodge Park is underused as a recreational area and new uses
should be investigated.
Shopping
Norwich is the main place that people shop but many people from
the Cromer area also go to Holt and Sheringham because there are
more interesting shops. They also go to Sheringham, North Walsham
and even Fakenham for their markets. This takes trade away from
Cromer.
Cromer has good independent shops (such as the fishmongers and
butchers) which people valued but felt it was difficult for them to
compete with the supermarkets.
The town is not easy for people with disabilities to use.
Tourism
Cromer doesn't have a main attraction, especially one that is
attractive all year round.
Accommodation is geared to the lower-end of the market.
The seafront, beaches and pier should still be recognised as
important assets.
There is a limited amount of income coming from tourists to the town
and it only supports low-paid jobs.
Cromer is heavily dependent on this flagging aspect of its economy.
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Cromer Whole Settlement Strategy
AIMS
Environment
Protect and improve Cromer’s historic
character in order to form the foundation for
the town's regeneration.
Enable the development of informal
recreation areas for young people and a
youth centre.
Encourage innovative new designs in
appropriate locations to establish Cromer as
a forward-looking community.
Enable Cromer to become a leisure and
entertainment centre for residents of the
area and tourists.
In general, protect and enhance the
landscape around Cromer.
Cromer should be a place for ‘active
retirement’ maintaining a range of facilities
for the elderly.
Housing
Enable the development of good-quality
housing in Cromer suitable for young
families on low incomes, as well as homes
for retired people.
Employment
Encourage a buoyant, diverse and modern
local economy but also support the
traditional mainstay industries of farming,
fishing and tourism.
Recognise the benefits of the ‘care sector’.
Community Facilities and
Infrastructure
Retain the range of community facilities
available in Cromer and seek
improvements in their quality and
accessibility.
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Recreation and Entertainment
Shopping
Restore Cromer’s function as a market town
to retain local expenditure and draw people
in from further afield. It should be accessible
to all and complement other towns in the
area but not try to compete with them.
Tourism
Improve Cromer’s attractiveness as an allyear-round tourist and visitor destination.
Cromer Whole Settlement Strategy
OBJECTIVES
Environment
In general, maintain a tight development boundary
around the town to protect the countryside from
encroachment.
Protect Listed Buildings and the Conservation
Area.
Encourage the screening and relocation of coastal
caravan parks.
Community Facilities and
Infrastructure
Relocate the bus station to a site close to the train station
and replace it with a bus pick-up/drop off facility and
commercial development.
Encourage and consider favourably any proposals for
new community facilities in or close to the town centre.
Take care over the design and landscaping of new
development, particularly on the edge of
town.
Ensure that improvements, redevelopment or a
relocation of the Cromer Hospital and other healthcare
facilities can be suitably accommodated in a convenient
location.
Consider the creation of a ‘civic centre’, perhaps at
North Lodge Park.
Allow innovative business uses on the edge of the Core
Retail Area, as well as general shops.
Seek to enhance the entrances (’gateways’) to the
town.
Allow innovative new designs to be used in appropriate
locations.
Housing
Encourage the development of housing suitable for
young families through all types of
tenure.
Develop on sites within the town rather than on
‘greenfield’ land.
Recreation and Entertainment
Identify a suitable site/sites for the future development
of informal recreation areas to meet the needs of young
people.
Consider the future use of North Lodge Park for
alternative outdoor recreational use.
Favourably consider proposals for new leisure,
entertainment and recreational uses within the town
generally and encourage the joint uses of existing
facilities.
Safeguard recreational facilities for older people.
Limit the development of large, expensive homes,
designed for retired people.
Development of residential care homes should be
viewed favourably.
Employment
Shopping
Do not allow any more shops or other commercial uses
(such as banks etc) outside the town centre unless they
can be shown not to harm the town centre.
Establish a central place for the market.
Capitalise on the town’s history, environment and
seaside location to attract investment and tap high
quality tourism markets.
Protect Cromer’s high quality environment and
recognise it as an economic as well as an environmental
asset.
Safeguard an area for the secure storage of boats/
equipment for the fishing industry and do not allow
development that would prejudice their use of the
foreshore.
Encourage the establishment of a business start-up/
incubation centre.
Provide land in Cromer for new employment
development.
Allow new housing in the town centre in courtyards, on
sites on the edge of the Core Retail Area and above
shops.
Create better links between Safeway and the town
centre.
Only allow shopping and commercial uses on the
ground floor in the Core Retail Area.
Tourism
Identify new uses for North Lodge Park so that it can be a
focus for the town and hold open-air
events.
Encourage the development of a major new visitor
attraction.
Encourage development to provide for boating and
watersports.
Encourage investment in hotel development.
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Cromer Whole Settlement Strategy
P u b l i c Pa r t i c i p a t i o n P r o c e s s
The process of involving people in the development of the strategy
included the following three main elements.
Stakeholder Workshop
Approximately fifty people representing a wide range of interests (commercial businesses,
community organisations, special interest groups, sporting, religious and educational interests
and members of town, parish and District Councils) were involved in a workshop on 16 February
2001. This helped to:
Develop an understanding of the role, function and catchment of the town;
appreciate the participant’s aspirations and their views on the town’s needs;
identify the issues that the strategy needed to address; and
identify the topics and/or participants for ‘targeted sessions’.
Targeted Sessions
To ensure that young people’s views were represented, two workshop sessions were held with
pupils on the School Council at Cromer High School in March 2001. Approximately twenty-five
students from throughout the school took part. In addition a questionnaire was distributed to
all pupils (of which 316 were returned).
The future of Cromer Hospital was identified as a key issue and so a meeting was held with
representatives of the various healthcare providers in Cromer to assist in planning healthcare
facilities in the town.
Interactive Exhibition
The ideas generated at the above sessions were developed into displays that were exhibited in
the town centre on Saturday 24 March 2001. At least 160 people attended this exhibition giving
feedback on the issues and prioritising the options put forward.
For further information please contact:
Forward Planning Manager, North Norfolk District Council,
PO Box 5, Council Offices, Holt Road, Cromer,
Norfolk. NR27 9DZ
Telephone : 01263 516133
e-mail - gary.alexander@north-norfolk.gov.uk
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