MANAGEMENT CONTRACT GUIDE

www.north-.gov.uk Welcome to Cromer Pier - the Victorian jewel of the Norfolk Coast. The Pier was originally built along with a string of grand hotels on the seafront at the end of the 19th century to provide a fashionable attraction for Victorians and Edwardians. It now provides a restaurant, gift shop, bar, box office and theatre which attracted 63,500 visitors in 2015/16 and was awarded UK Pier of the Year in 2015.

North Norfolk District Council is looking for a contractor to manage the Pier facilities for the next seven years. This guide provides an outline of the facilities to be managed, the investment the council is making and a flavour of the most popular shows that have traditionally been delivered at the Pier Pavilion Theatre. Whilst the specification for this contract has been written to encourage flexibility and innovation, the following examples remain popular with our theatre-goers, including the last end-of the pier show in Europe, now in its 38th year.

Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the information in this document is accurate it should be treated as a guide only and does not form part of the management contract.

2 Grade II Listed Treasure

Cromer Pier is an iconic structure which was constructed in 1900 after the destruction of the old wooden jetty in 1897. Although originally featuring a bandstand at its head, this was extended in 1905 to form a pavilion which still exists today (albeit in a reincarnated form). The Pier has experienced fluctuating fortunes over its time, including being sectioned during WW2 and holed by a rig in 1993.

In recognition of its architectural and historic interest, the Pier became a Grade II Listed Building in 1975. This has helped ensure that its intrinsic qualities have been successfully conserved but has not stood in the way of the Pier adapting and embracing change. Moving forward, the same balances will need to be struck so whilst sustaining the viability of the asset through adaptation will continue to be a hugely important consideration, it must not be at the expense of the asset itself. The Council will therefore seek to manage this process through the normal listed building consent procedures.

The Pier is included within the Cromer Conservation Area which covers the majority of the town centre and which was also designated in 1975. It is this mix of nautical and urban elements which helps define the settlement as the quintessential Victorian/ Edwardian seaside resort.

Cromer Pier facilities

The current Cromer Pier facilities consist of 3 main buildings which (defined by their current use) are as follows:

The Pavillion Theatre and Bar -consisting of an auditorium with 514 seats (including balcony), a proscenium raked stage (Approx. stage dimensions: Depth: 5.5m (18ft) Width SL: 11.89m (39ft) Proscenium width: 9.14m (30ft)) with screened off orchestra area. The back stage facilities include office space, dressing rooms, showers and toilets and under stage storage. The foyer houses the bar with seating area and patron’s toilets.

The Restaurant and Ice Cream Parlour Building - consisting of the restaurant seating area, servery, prep room, ice cream parlour, staff WC and disabled WC with baby change.

The Gift Shop and Box Office Building - consisting of a box office with DDA compliant counter in a gift shop with further gift shop area. The building also houses the Public toilets (which are not part of the contract)

There are also two shelters half way down the pier which have the potential for further concessions.

3 Pier facilities and their current use

RNLI Lifeboat station(not in scope of contract)

Pavillion Theatre

Pavillion Theatre Bar

(Seasonal) Bar Outside seating area

Shelters

Restaurant Outside seating area

Restaurant Box Office Ice Cream Parlour Gift Shop

4 Tourism Economy

North Norfolk is renowned for its spectacular coastline, fantastic wildlife, miles of glorious beaches, seaside communities and a beautiful hinterland of rolling countryside and picturesque market towns and villages.

Now firmly established as one of the country’s premier tourist destinations, the total number of trips to North Norfolk (day and staying) in 2015 was just under 8 Million. The estimated total visitor spend was almost £400M which together with indirect/induced spend gives the total tourism value of North Norfolk as £485,000,000. Financial Performance

In 2015 the current Pier operation including the theatre, shop and restaurant had a turn over of just under £1.5M (excluding the Council’s subsidy). The Council’s expectation going forward is that the contract runs at nil subsidy and ideally returns a profit share to the Council. Capital investment programme Over recent years a significant amount of capital investment has taken place in the pier infrastructure; from the pier legs and decking, through to the buildings on the pier; the restaurant, booking office and public conveniences (which collected a “Loo of the Year” award in 2016) following the damage caused by the December 2013 storm surge.

The Council is now investing a further £275,000 into the Pavilion Theatre to ensure it is fit for purpose for any incoming contractor. This will extend the quality and life of the facility, and ensure that the Grade II listed building is fit for the 21st century and caters for generations to come.

Planned improvements include substantial roof refurbishment works, an improved ventilation system and a new electric supply board. Other opportunities... Whilst the theatre hosts some first class shows and concerts, there is potential for the facility to offer a greater range of events and activities in the future. For example, North Norfolk is lacking a good-sized conference facility, and so any incoming contractor may wish to investigate this idea.

The Pier has the potential of becoming a stunning wedding venue, given the beautiful backdrop that exists with the sea, foreshore and Cromer town all providing excellent landscapes for such events.

A casino is something that is not offered locally, and may be an option that contractors may be interested in pursuing.

All prospective contractors should suggest ideas that they feel have the potential to be commercially viable, and should any require capital investment to adapt the theatre, there is the potential for the Council to include these in its capital investment programme.

5 Summer Show

Pavilion Theatre is now the only theatre in Europe at the end of a pier that produces an in-house show every summer and winter season.

The Summer Show is one of the few true live variety shows in Britain, showcasing live acts at their best. The Theatre has 500 seats making for an intimate experience but drawing quality acts that always enjoy returning to Cromer.

The shows have provided an eclectic array of great pop music, West End ballads, speciality acts and humour from top comedians.

the past we’ve had many, now-familiar names, develop their careers in Cromer. These include Bradley Walsh and Steve Hewlett, the hilarious and fabulously entertaining ventriloquist, who made it to the nals of Britain’s Got Talent 2013. The Pier Show is nationally famous as an “incubator” of true, quality talent for dancers, singers, actors, magicians, comedians and other variety acts.

Traditionally our core audience for the Pier Show has been the older market, however the Pier attracts signi cant numbers of families throughout the year and so there is significant potential to widen the appeal of the theatre. In 2016 there were over 31,000 visitors to the Summer Show.

Christmas Show The Christmas Show has been delivered since 2004 offering a festive variety of singing, dancing and comedy. This show has seen a recent increase in popularity and Christmas 2015 saw almost 13,000 visits.

6 Concerts

Other successful events are the concerts that are held all year round. This year’s line up featured bands such as 70s soul sensation The Real Thing.

There are on average 30 concerts delivered each year at the Pavilion Theatre, providing a wide range of music to cater for all ages. Almost 13,000 people attended our concerts during 2015/16.

Folk on the Pier nnual music festival ‘Folk on the Pier’ is renowned as one of the best music festivals the folk-rock world has to offer. The festival (now in its 18th year) has taken place in the Theatre and venues around the town over the weekend in early May.

The festival is organised by an external organisation, and brings over 400 visitors to Cromer over a three-day period. It is estimated that the festival attracts around £150,000 in tourism spend that boost the local economy.

Cromer and Sheringham Operatic and Dramatic Society

The Cromer and Sheringham Operatic and Dramatic Society is one of the Pavilion Theatre’s customers. The Society hires the venue for a full week during the Whitsun holiday period.

The Society has a very good reputation for producing a quality performance each year, and always receives excellent reviews. The shows are normally sold out throughout the week resulting in a throughput of approximately 3,500 people.

7 CROMER PIER MANAGEMENT CONTRACT GUIDE

North Norfolk District Council Holt road, Cromer Norfolk NR27 9EN

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T: 01263 513 811 www.north-norfolk.gov.uk