Former nightclub in Gorleston could be demolished
Great Yarmouth Borough Council has put the site up for sale
Last updated 5th Mar 2025
A seafront venue in Gorleston which is facing a £800,000 revamp bill after being left in a “poor condition” by the previous tenants could face demolition.
The derelict Ocean Room has been put up for sale by Great Yarmouth Borough Council (GYBC) but if no buyer is found in three months, the authority may seek to bulldoze the site.
Retail estate firm Cushman and Wakefield warned its future as a leisure venue could be challenging, due to the building being “too large for a single operator” but also not suitable to be divided up.
Turning it into a hotel, care home or housing has also been proposed but it is uncertain if these options would be viable.
This makes it likely GYBC will decide to demolish the venue if no buyer comes forward, which will cost the council about £500,000.
Additional funding would also be needed to redevelop the site.
The authority will reassess the situation in May if it remains unsold.
Graham Plant, deputy leader of Great Yarmouth Borough Council, said officers were not able to see the level of dilapidation until the property was handed back to the council in the spring of last year.
Surveys of the nightclub have since shown it is in need of extensive repairs and requires significant investment to bring get back into use.
At a meeting this week, members agreed to pursue the sale of the property, which was built in 1939 and opened as the Floral Hall.
Mr Plant said the building had “suffered a level of degradation” and the building had been returned to the council in a “poor condition” by the former tenants, who also owed £47,100 to the council in outstanding rental payments.
In recent weeks, rats have been seen scurrying outside the premises, which is partly enclosed by metal rail fencing.
Mr Plant has said selling the venue “would be the best thing we could do in the circumstances”.
It will now be offered for sale on the open market following the meeting.
For 86 years, the venue on Gorleston’s seafront has been attracting generations of party-goers.
In 1939, the Ocean Room was opened as the Floral Hall, which became a very popular dance venue in the town.
With its prominent spot next to the beach, it attracted locals and visitors alike.
It later became the Ocean Room after being taken over by Gordon Edwards, and his son Russell Edwards, in 1975.
It continued to be managed by the family for decades, drawing some of the biggest acts of the time including Brit-pop stars Blur.
However, the Ocean Room was unable to recover from the impact of Covid and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, which affected the night-time economy significantly.
The venue closed its doors in Spring 2024 and has since fallen into dereliction.