Rocket House in Cromer £1m investment a 'monumental mistake'

North Norfolk District Council has agreed to pay £1m to fix damp issue at the Rocket House in Cromer

A landmark seafront building in Norfolk has been described as a "monumental mistake".

North Norfolk District Council has agreed to pay £1m to fix damp problems at Cromer's Rocket House.

Angie Fitch-Tillett, who leads the council's Independent Group, said no-one was "brave enough" to stop putting money into the building.

The Liberal Democrat leader of the council Tim Adams said it was important for the town's "economic prosperity".

The Rocket House was built in 2006 on Cromer's East promenade and houses a cafe, public toilets and lift.

'Rock and a hard place'

It is also home to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution's (RNLI) Henry Blogg Museum, which is currently closed due to chronic damp issues.

Ms Fitch-Tillett told the council's cabinet: "You have been left between a rock and a hard place and no-one is brave enough to stop investing in this foolhardy scheme.

"You have been left in an unenviable position of having to support a project that you know to be a monumental mistake."

The building has suffered two storm surges - in 2007 and 2013.

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The RNLI said recent surveys had shown it was "taking in large amounts of water and has a damp problem", as a result of "problems with the building's construction".

Mr Adams said: "Rocket House is important for the future of the area and its continued economic prosperity.

"We are not in an ideal position, but this is the most logical way forward."

He added that the damp issues were a relatively simple problem, but it was proving complex to solve.

Cabinet members voted unanimously to approve the £1m restoration of the building.