A Norfolk council meeting had to be paused after a row over a decision to spend £1m repairing a landmark seafront building led to heated exchanges between senior figures.
Tempers frayed as North Norfolk District Council members met to debate the renovation of Cromer's Rocket House after Tory councillors claimed the hefty bill was "unjustified".
As the fraught overview and scrutiny committee meeting progressed, Tim Adams, leader of the Liberal-Democrat administration and Conservative councillor Nigel Dixon, chairman of the committee, exchanged verbal blows before the meeting was halted for five minutes.
Mr Dixon demanded Mr Adams clarify what he meant when he said the Rocket House "would not wash its own face" financially and called for more information about the costs.
This led to the pair going to and fro, with the leader believing the matter was being "drawn out" unnecessarily and urged the debate to come to a close.
When told to "keep calm and move on" Mr Adams laughed at which point the chairman said: "This is not a joke, it's not a funny business, it's very serious. It is not appropriate for the leader of the council to laugh at this."
Mr Adams responded, saying he did not think the way he was being spoken to was "appropriate".
At this point, an officer intervened in a rare move at council meetings and called for a five-minute break due to discussions "getting a bit heated".
Ultimately, the two-hour-long meeting was of little consequence, as councillors voted to continue with the original decision after Tory councillors failed in their attempt to force cabinet members to reconsider the expense.
ROCKET RIFT
The Rocket House in Cromer has become a point of growing controversy at the coastal council.
The building, situated metres away from the North Sea, has become ridden with damp issues, which have been blamed on damage caused by two storm surges in the past two decades.
The matter was being revisited at the overview and scrutiny committee meeting after it was "called in" by Tory critics.
They complained the decision to spend £1m to renovate the structure lacked transparency and that it was made without full details about the cost implications and demanded evidence other options had been considered.
However, leader Tim Adams has defended the move, calling it the "only logical decision" arguing the building serves a "wider value" to the town.
He also added that the council has been as transparent as possible without revealing confidential information.
He said: "The building should be seen as far more than a profit and loss on a balance sheet. It is an important visitor attraction and part of Cromer's tourism economy.
"It isn’t a desirable position to be in, but it is right we get it resolved now.
"The Rocket House, and everything within, have a long future ahead. I don’t believe there are any reasonable alternatives that we can either afford or wait for."
SEAFRONT LANDMARK
The Rocket House, which is built into Cromer's cliff face, was constructed in 2006 as part of a regeneration scheme funded through grants from the EU as well as contributions from the RNLI and elsewhere.
It was built on the site of a café that was bombed during the Second World War.
As well as being home to the RNLI Henry Blogg Museum and a thriving café, it also houses public toilets and a lift that helps provide greater accessibility for Cromer's seafront and beach.
The damp issues are becoming increasingly problematic, causing damage to the museum's artefacts and a risk of ill health for staff.
It is believed a defect in the concrete dampproofing contributed to the issue, allowing water to infiltrate the structure during the storm surges.
The 32-week programme of repairs will aim to solve the damp issues while also making improvements to make the property more energy efficient.
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