Community Reacts to Proposed Cromer Visitor Centre Closure

Residents in a seaside town have been responding to reports concerning the potential closure of its visitor centre. North Norfolk District Council is considering shutting down the facility in Cromer, which a council report indicated was “considered to be anachronistic and expensive”. Tim Adams, the leader of the authority, stated that most holidaymakers would typically conduct their searches online. Trevor Hatter, 77, a Cromer resident, uses the centre to purchase tickets for his National Express coach journeys. He commented, “It’s disgusting really. Not everyone has got a smartphone to order things,” adding, “I have to get everything done by paperwork. I’ve only got an old-fashioned phone myself so it would interrupt my travel.” He further noted, “Everything has gone online, but if you haven’t got a smartphone, you’ve had it.” Gill Ormesher, 65, who lives in Cromer with her husband, mentioned that they occasionally utilized the centre to check bus timetables. She remarked, “It’s a sad thing but unfortunately everything seems to be changing,” and continued, “A lot of older people visit here and live here. And although I know a lot of them go online, most people prefer to talk to someone.” Derek Simon, 75, a Norwich resident who visits Cromer with his family, stated that he used the visitor centre occasionally but expressed concern regarding the impact on tourists. He commented, “I’m a bit against it really,” and added, “It’s alright for me because I’m fairly local, but with the holidaymakers and that they need something like that.” The closure of the tourist information centre is expected to be confirmed when the council develops its budget plans for the 2025-26 fiscal year early next year. The centre is part of a complex that includes award-winning public toilets, but Mr. Adams clarified that these facilities would not be affected by any visitor centre closure.