New 'art-deco' style hotel in Sheringham set for approval

The 37-suite accommodation would go next to the Reef leisure centre

An artists' impression of the proposed new building
Author: George Thompson, Local Democracy Reporting ServicePublished 17th Mar 2023
Last updated 17th Mar 2023

The construction of new art deco-style hotel on the Norfolk coast looks set to go ahead.

Developers want to create the 37-suite hotel next to Sheringham’s Reef leisure centre.

Planning officials at North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) have recommended the scheme for approval, before a meeting next week.

It would provide limited on-site facilities for guests, with a space for a bar and laundrette on the ground floor.

Ahead of the meeting, three letters of objection were submitted to the development committee by locals.

Their concerns focused on whether the development would create too much traffic in the area, with a golf course, leisure centre and plans for a care home all adding pressure to Weybourne Road.

They were also concerned it was too large and out of keeping with the area, with one branding it an “eyesore”.

However, Norfolk County Council’s highways team has raised no concerns about the development.

NNDC officers have also argued in favour of the scheme.

They said: “This application is considered to be acceptable in principle, and would not result in any harmful effects on the character and appearance of the surrounding landscape.”

Officers also welcomed the economic benefits of the scheme, which will create jobs during and after construction, while creating a new tourism offer for the district.

“These are matters which attract positive weight in favour,” they added.

A planning statement submitted with the plans said the building’s design would be influenced by the art deco period of the 1920s and 1930s.

The visual style, featuring symmetry and layered shapes, is often associated with the English seaside.

Sheringham is already home to art deco properties, such as the prominent seafront apartment block next to the putting green.

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