Downstairs neighbour objects to balcony bid at former Cromer hotel

A bid to upgrade a balcony on the first floor at a landmark seafront property in Cromer is facing objections - from the downstairs neighbour.

Jane Kinnaird, owner of the Bath House, has submitted an application to reinstate the first floor balcony of the former hotel on Cromer Promenade with the installation of a glass balustrade.

A document supporting the application states the hotel originally had a balcony at that level with handrails, which were removed at some point after the 1960s

It says that the balcony has been assessed by a structural engineer and is "suitable for use in its current form".

The application says the frameless glass balustrade would "provide a visually unobtrusive solution to the balcony allowing this to be brought back into use whilst not dominating the appearance of the building".

Ms Kinnaird, a property developer from Worcestershire, bought the former hotel in 2019 for around £1.2million.

She then converted the pale yellow building, just a stone's throw from Cromer Pier, into four separate homes.

It is from one of those addresses - known as the Lower Bath House - an objection has been made to the plans for the balcony.

The neighbour says that the structure was "never intended to be used as a balcony" and that it would have an "adverse effect on the Promenade".

Cromer Town Council has also objected, raising concerns over "inappropriate" materials and design.

The Bath House, where Victorians used to come to 'take the waters,' later became a hotel and pub as well as a private home.

In 2016 it was reported that Libertines musician Carl Barat planned to turn it into a nightclub.

The Bath House was originally a reading room before a spa for wealthy Victorians. In 1872, brewer and wine merchant James Chapman converted it into a hotel.

Though it had been used as a pub/hotel for much of the 20th century, it was converted into a luxury private home by Dr Barry Connell and his wife Anji in the early 2000s.

Before Ms Kinnaird stepped in the Bath House had been on the market for years.

A decision on the bid is expected by November 18.