A landmark hotel a stone’s throw from the Golden Mile is set for demolition following planning permission. Raynscourt Hotel owner Kay Rockach asked for permission to bulldoze the hotel, once she retires in January, after 37 years of running it.

Despite a pre-meeting recommendation to reject the proposal, members of Great Yarmouth Borough Council chose unanimously to support the demolition.

The report ahead of Tuesday’s meeting by officers advised members to refuse the scheme which was also labelled as “needless destruction” by conservationists.

However, councillors chose to support the plans in the hope that it could lead to a brighter future for the site.

Councillor Bert Collins, said: “No one has loved Great Yarmouth more than this family.

“They have tried hard for several years to sell the building but there was no interest while there was a building on site.

“It would be a shame for us to not go through with this and fail them, and it would be best for the building to be taken down and get the job done properly by bringing in new developers.”

However the bulldozers can only move in after a new developer comes forward with a scheme.

The demolition would have to be done within the next three years.

The hotel is within a conservation area and a secondary holiday zone, where policies around safe-guarding bed spaces are more flexible.