Cromer seafront could have quirky new beach huts
The morning after the tidal surges destroyed most of the beach huts on the eastern promenade. A sad sight, but perhaps what was sadder was the amount of people searching through others' possessions for anything valuable and carrying away as much as they could. - Credit: citizenside.com
A move is afoot to add some art to Cromer's traditional seafront beach huts.
‘The Wizard of Oz’ by Lionel T Dean, Future Factories. A concertina style Nissen hut with echoes of a seashell. Credit: Image by Joel Chester Fildes and Michael Trainor.For Richard Batson.
December's storm surge swept away the 'garden shed' style huts - leaving the slate clean for a potential rethink when it comes to replacing them, says a local architect.
Instead of rebuilding the huts in the conventional design, Jim Bond has suggested owners try something a little daring.
Mr Bond, 62, well-known in Cromer as a town councillor and New Year's Day fireworks chairman, said it would be a better use of space to design beach huts outside of council regulations.
He said: 'After the storms it seems a bit of an opportunity — particularly in the east end.
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'We have a clean slate to use a bit more of our imagination.'
He suggested each hut should be individual, allowing owners to tailor it to their own needs.
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He said: 'It would be nice to think some of the local shed makers could get on board — it would raise their profile as well.'
And designs like the miniatures displayed at the Bathing Beauties exhibition at the Henry Blogg RNLI lifeboat museum in 2008 could provide some inspiration.
The collection included a Jabba Cave inspired by the film Star Wars, an alien space ship and a block of cheese.
And it was after he suffered a severe spinal injury in May 2012 falling from a ladder while clipping a hedge that the father-of-two started designing beach huts.
He said: 'I can draw beach huts to my heart's content. I have been interested in them for quite a few years.'
Mr Bond, who lives in the Warren, built his beach hut three years ago, adding a roof-top deck. It too was swept out to sea in December.
And North Norfolk District Council have not ruled Mr Bond's idea out. Although it has guidelines for the huts, including colours restricted to cherry red, Atlantic blue, canary yellow and mid green, it said it would consider alternatives.
A council spokesman said: 'We are open to individual designs but we don't openly promote it.
'If people are interested in personalising their hut we are open to discussions.
'We have agreed one or two design deviations in the past.'
But the council said it had the final decision on what owners built on their space.
What do you think about a beach hut design revamp. Write to nnn.letters@archant.co.uk by 5pm on Monday.
