Closure decision on seaside visitor centre delayed

Plans to close a seaside town’s last remaining tourist information centre have been delayed until the new year.

North Norfolk District Council is considering shutting the site in Cromer, which it said costs £170,000 per year to run.

The authority was due to discuss its future at a meeting on Monday but the decision was deferred until January.

Tim Adams, Liberal Democrat leader of the council, said: "It does, of course, also make sense to take this decision at a later stage in the budget cycle."

A scheme to close the centre was first announced in November.

A report for councillors said most tourist destinations no longer had similar centres, and it was "considered to be anachronistic and expensive".

Adams told the BBC many people would go online to find information if they were planning a holiday, rather than the visitor centre itself.

But the move sparked controversy among people in the town, who raised concerns that not all visitors would have access to smartphones.

Speaking at Monday's cabinet meeting, Adams said the debate about the centre would have to be pushed back as it was a "major decision" and needed to be published for 28 days before any agreement could be made.

The council said it was looking to make cuts as it faced a funding shortfall of £8m over the next three years.

It has already drawn up plans to cut costs on toilets but has rejected plans to sell leases on its beach huts.

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