The green heart of Cromer for almost 100 years
North Lodge Park was opened on 18 May 1929. Cromer Urban District Council decided to buy the former estate because it was the last largely undeveloped space available on the clifftop. The Council knew the spectacular views across the sea towards Cromer Pier and the wide open space close to the town centre would be the perfect setting for a brand new public park for recreation and pleasure.
Over the decades, the park has formed the backdrop to memories made by generations of Cromer people and its visitors. Hundreds of us shared our precious memories on plaques attached to the bridge built in 2021.
There have been many plans over recent years to restore the park to its former glory, but sadly none has yet come to fruition.
We need your help now to protect North Lodge Park for the future
In November the Council proposes to remove the special legal protection that prevents development of the park for anything that isn’t recreation. The Council believes a 44-space pay and display car park is a better use for the land than public recreation.
Read on to find out more or skip ahead and find out what you can do to protect the park at the end of this page.
Proposed car park in North Lodge Park
North Norfolk District Council is proposing to build a 44-space pay-and-display car park on the former tennis courts in North Lodge Park.
This website brings together information about the proposal, the history and importance of North Lodge Park, and the reasons why the former tennis courts matter to the future of the park and future generations.
We believe Cromer deserves better
The former tennis courts are an important part of the park, they are right beside the entrance and can be seen from Overstrand Road. This precious space is the window through which visitors view the park. It offers an exciting opportunity to create something new and exciting that benefits local people and visitors for generations to come.
Exciting plans for the former tennis courts abandoned
It’s not only us that thinks the former tennis courts could be revitalised. In 2022 North Norfolk District Council proposed the former tennis courts should be transformed into a vibrant hub for community recreation with a splash pad and entertainment space. The Council applied to the government for a grant of millions of pounds to build it. When the funding failed to materialise, in 2023 The Friends of North Lodge Park in partnership with Cromer Town Council submitted a planning application for a community hub with brand new accessible toilets. NNDC granted planning permission, and then the plan was abandoned. Because both these ideas failed to get off the ground NNDC has fallen back on an idea it first proposed in 2007 and again in 2016 – to build a pay and display car park. Previously the people of Cromer rejected this idea by voting overwhelmingly against a car park in two parish polls.
There is no parish poll for the 2026 car park proposal. This time it’s different. Six months ago NNDC learned for the first time that North Lodge Park is protected by a statutory trust formed when the park opened in 1929. This means the land is protected by law, for recreational use only, for the pleasure and enjoyment of future generations. While this statutory trust remains in force the park cannot be sold, it cannot be developed. A car park is absolutely forbidden.
On 7 September 2026 NNDC’s Cabinet voted to end this legal protection for the former tennis courts so they could build a 44 space pay and display car park. Because of the special statutory trust status the park enjoys the Council must now ask the public to object if they still require the land for public recreation. Any objections must be carefully considered by the Council’s Chief Executive and presented back to NNDC’s Cabinet for a final vote on whether to appropriate the area of the former tennis courts – removing its special legal protection protection forever.
We think there’s another way forwards. We want the park cared for, restored and enjoyed — not gradually eaten away for money-making schemes that may or may not benefit whatever parts of the park remain once the tarmac spreads.
What you can do to help — act now
What is happening:
North Norfolk District Council has started the legal process to appropriate the former tennis courts area so it can build a 44-space car park.
- The Council must show that the land is no longer needed for public recreation. It believes it has already done this in a report discussed by NNDC’s Cabinet.
- Next it must consider objections from the public. That’s us.
- There are just 3 weeks – ending 5pm on Thursday 15th October – to register objections.
- The objections must only address the legal question asked – the land is no longer required for recreation.
- “We don’t want a car park” is not a valid objection and the Council can dismiss it as irrelevant.
- We have listed some valid objections as to why and how the former tennis court area could be transformed and returned to public recreation.
- Use any of the following reasons (just one or a few you believe in) as a starting point for your objection – write in your own words, adding your own story, your own proposal, what you think should be created for North Lodge Park. Now is is time to show the Council you care about the park’s future.
The Council describes the process like this: “Land held for public recreation cannot simply be used for another purpose. The Council must first complete a statutory process known as appropriation, which formally changes the purpose for which the land is held. As part of the process, the Council is required to advertise the proposal and invite objections before any decision is made.”
How to Object:
Objections need to address the legal test – do not simply write “we don’t want a car park”.
Explain why the area occupied by the former tennis courts is still needed for community and recreational use.
This was clearly shown in the Council’s own consultation last year, where over half of respondents preferred alternative community uses.
Example objections
Keep your objection focused on the legal test. Below is a long list you can use as a prompt to make your own personal objection.
Short on time? Here are three easy objections:
If you only have a few minutes, make these three points:
The land is still needed for recreation
The legal question is not whether the Council can find a better use for land that is currently unused. It is whether the land is no longer required for recreation.
The Cabinet papers, debate and discussion appear to have focused heavily on the fact that the former tennis courts are unused and on the benefits of using them for a car park, including the potential income. But those are different questions. The Council needs relevant evidence that the land is no longer required for recreation before it can remove its existing legal protection.
1. The Council appears to have asked the wrong question
Ask the Council to explain what evidence demonstrates that the land is no longer required for recreation, rather than simply whether a car park would be a better or more useful use of currently unused land.
Point to anything in the officers’ report, Cabinet debate or your own experience that you believe shows the distinction was not properly addressed. In particular, explain why the fact that the former tennis courts are currently unused does not establish that they are no longer needed for recreation.
Revenue from a proposed car park, or the possibility of spending some of that revenue on the park, does not answer the statutory question.
2. The Council has not demonstrated that the land is surplus to recreational requirements
Point to the evidence you think the Council should have considered – including the shortage of open space in Cromer identified in its own official Ethos report, and its previous plans to revitalise the former tennis courts for recreational and community use.
These are relevant evidence when considering whether this particular piece of land is genuinely no longer required for recreation. Explain why you believe the Council has not demonstrated that it is surplus to recreational requirements.
3. Tell the Council what you would like to see there
Suggest a recreational, community or leisure use for the former tennis courts. Your own ideas, experiences and reasons are important.
If you have suggested an idea in the past few years, remind the Council what you proposed and when. If you use North Lodge Park for recreation, explain how and why the former tennis courts could contribute to the park’s future.
The Council needs to consider the evidence of continuing recreational need, including the ways local people believe this land could be used.
Want to say more?
Here are some ideas to help you build your objection. You don’t need to use them all. Choose the points that matter to you and put them in your own words.
- North Lodge Park was acquired in 1929 for the people of Cromer specifically for public recreation and pleasure. The former tennis courts area has formed part of that recreational park for generations. This history is relevant to whether the land is still required for the purpose for which it was acquired and held.
- Has the Council actually demonstrated that this land is no longer required for recreation? The fact that the former tennis courts have been unused for many years does not by itself establish that they are surplus to recreational requirements. The Council needs to consider the land’s current and future recreational value, not simply its present condition or use.
- The Council’s Cabinet failed to consider the evidence supporting its own local Plan. The Council’s Cabinet should consider the evidence in its own Open Space Assessment. The 2020 Ethos assessment identified a deficit in open-space provision in Cromer. This is relevant evidence when considering whether this land is still required for recreation.
- The Council should consider its own Open Space policy, HC2, which protects existing open spaces and requires evidence before recreational open space can be lost.
- In 2022, NNDC proposed investment in North Lodge Park through its Levelling Up bid, including securing a new use for the former tennis-court area as part of a wider regeneration programme. This is evidence that the Council has previously identified the site as important for recreational and community use.
- In 2023, NNDC granted planning permission for a scheme on the former tennis courts that included community and recreational uses, including an entertainment space and multi-use space for leisure activities. This is evidence that the site was considered capable of supporting recreational and community use very recently.
- The Council’s account of its 2025 consultation said that respondents favoured the car-park proposal. However, subsequent information obtained through Freedom of Information showed that more than half of respondents supported a different use. If you responded to that consultation, you may wish to explain why you believe this evidence should be reconsidered and what your response tells the Council about the continuing need for recreational use of the land.
- NNDC has said that the proposed car park could generate up to £120,000 a year and that up to £50,000 could be ring-fenced for investment in North Lodge Park. If you believe these figures are important to the case for appropriation, you may wish to ask how they were calculated, what assumptions they depend on and for how many years the proposed funding would be available. The financial return from parking does not itself demonstrate that the land is no longer required for recreation.
- If you previously suggested a use for the former tennis courts — perhaps a sports cage, entertainment space, community facility or something else — tell the Council about it again. Explain why your proposal shows that the land is still needed for recreation.
- Cromer is a growing town. More houses are being built and there is already a shortage of open space for recreation. Explain why you believe this land will be needed to meet the recreational needs of the existing and future population.
- Recreational use includes lots of activities besides tennis – it might be a craft market, live theatre, music performances, multi-purpose sports area. You can propose that the former tennis courts area is redeveloped for these activities.
- The former tennis courts area has been unused and poorly maintained for many years. If you believe this is being treated as evidence that the land is no longer required for recreation, explain why you think the condition and lack of recent use do not reflect its potential future recreational value. You could also suggest how the area could be brought back into recreational use.
- Don’t simply copy and paste these examples. Use the points that matter to you and add your own reasons, experiences and ideas. Individual, relevant objections will be more useful than hundreds of identical messages.
Consultation deadline
5:00pm on Thursday 15 October 2026
Step-by-step guide:
The North Norfolk District Council’s consultation page is here
Submit your formal objection directly to North Norfolk District Council by email or post using these contact details:
By email: NLPConsultation@north-norfolk.gov.uk
By post:
Lynda Wilson
Chief Executive’s Office
North Norfolk District Council
Council Offices
Holt Road
Cromer
NR27 9EN
To ensure your objection can be formally considered, include:
Subject: North Lodge Park, Cromer
Your full name
Your address and postcode
Your objection – the reason you believe the former tennis courts are is required for recreation and should be returned to public recreation use.
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Love North Lodge Park – let’s celebrate the park centenary in 2029
North Lodge Park first opened to the public on Saturday 18 May 1929. The people of Cromer came out in force for bowling, putting, to enjoy the gardens, the walks, the sea views and to sit and enjoy the fresh air. Later there was a boating pond, a children’s roundabout, a cafe and later a bandstand and tennis courts. North Lodge Park was at the centre of Cromer life.
In just under three years time North Lodge Park will celebrate its centenary. Let’s ensure we help preserve all of North Lodge Park for its 100th birthday.
Contact us at hello@lovenorthlodgepark.co.uk