Tea cups are clinking in celebration and there was extra cake all round at news that the Friends of Cromer's North Lodge Park have been awarded a licence to run the attraction's tea rooms commercially for a year.

North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) chose the Friends from a number of other contenders after secretary Barry Meadows' application impressed those deciding the bid.

The Friends have pledged to keep the café open throughout the year and to look at investing all profits back into activities in the park, which has suffered from a lack of investment for some time.

Friends volunteers have been running the café without paying rates or rent for the past eight months.

Mr Meadows said: 'I'm very pleased. It means we can do a bit of planning for the future now because we know where we stand.'

The council is looking for a partner to help plan a long-term future for the park.

Everyone interested in the park's survival is invited to the Friends' annual meeting in Cromer Community Hall on Wednesday, March 23, at 7.30pm.

The results of a public survey on the attraction will be discussed and members hope new volunteers will come forward to help realise action points.

These cover areas including the formation of a trust to run the park and clarifying NNDC's plans for a car park on the old children's play area.

Are you trying to save an attraction? Emailalex.hurrell@archant.co.uk.