the-pier.co.uk

Clacton Pier has been sold to the newly created Clacton Pier Company for an undisclosed amount.

At the moment detailed plans haven’t been released but it is expected that the new owners will continue the hard work that the Harrison family have put into the pier over the last 15 years that they have owned the pier.

A Clacton Pier Company spokesman has said “Clacton Pier is one of East Anglia’s best known tourist attractions and we are very pleased to have made the acquisition.”

“We would like to thank the Harrison family for offering us the exclusive opportunity to acquire the business.”

“The Harrison family have operated Clacton Pier successfully for over a decade and we would like to thank them for all their support.”

“We hope to continue the pier’s success under new ownership and intend to invest in, and develop the pier for future generations to enjoy.”

A £31k report had been conducted by BDP to determine the viability of adding a viewing area at the end of the pier for observation of the an offshore wind farm. The report concluded that the redevelopment could make the pier a major attraction for tourists using the wind farm to pull in the visitors.

Equipment has been brought in to remove unsafe remains of the West Pier due to safety concerns.

The whole walkway, including a barbed wired covered gate has been dismantled with the wooden land end deck being fenced off and closed to the general public, but supporting piles still remain

West Pier Trust manager Rachel Clark said: “Our consultant engineers have recommended we do something about these issues for safety reasons.” She also commented that “the walkway was put up in 1996 as a temporary access to the pier but has not been needed since a fire in 2003 wrecked the structure and has not been properly maintained”

She pointed out that: “It was not about to collapse but there had been issues with teenagers climbing on it.”

Ms Clark commented that she was “aware people would be disappointed to be banned from the decked area above the promenade” and that  ”this week’s work should not be taken as an indication the trust was winding up and added that a series of tours every Sunday at 11am were an indication of its commitment”.

The gantry has been used very little since 2003 when a fire which is believed likely to have been started maliciously destroyed the pier.

A growing group of supporters disgusted at the way Steve Hunt, owner of Victoria Pier, Colwyn Bay has been treated by Conwy County Borough Council are now petitioning the Prime Minister for a full Public Inquiry into the matter.  The link for the petition is  http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/colwynpier/ or from the piers webiste  www.victoriapier.com Since going live tuesday evening, the petition has already received 49 signatures, putting it straight into the top 20% of petitions on the government website.

Conwy County Borough Council falsely accused Mr Hunt, 37, of owing £5,144.88 in unpaid council tax and business rates due at the Pier. When Mr Hunt refused to pay the bill, which is now proven to be completely untrue, CCBC petitioned for Mr Hunt’s bankruptcy, and succeeded in making him bankrupt on 17th July 2008 by submitting untrue statements to Caernarfon County Court.

Mr Hunt has now made a formal crime report against the Council to North Wales Police. The Crown Prosecution Service have reviewed the dossier of damning evidence, and have now instructed CID to prepare a full file pending further action.

CCBC’s Solicitors are also now under investigation by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and the Legal Services Ombudsman for serious malpractice.

CCBC is also under investigation by the Information Commissioners Office for refusing to supply information to Mr Hunt which he requested well over 2 years go, which meant he had no chance of defending the allegations in the bankruptcy action, and was therefore denied the right to a fair trial, which is contrary to Article 6 of the Human Rights Act.

The case continues…

A man was saved from perishing in the ice cold waters of the sea beneath Eastbourne Pier last Tuesday evening. It is believed the man used the fishing platform at the end of Eastbourne Pier to get down to the sea.

The Eastbourne Coastguard along with Eastbourne’s two life boat crews where following an appeal from the Dover Coastguards which was called in at about 9pm on Tuesday 24th February 2009.

Lifeboat crew used searchlight to find the man who was found clinging to the steel supports that are beneath the platform of the pier. Two of the lifeboat crew had to risk their own safety and get into the freezing water in order to save the man and get him into the lifeboat.

The man was wrapped in a thermal blanket and received oxygen from the paramedic that was present on the all weather lifeboat that had also been launched; the man was then taken ashore to an ambulance that was waiting by to take him to Eastbourne District General Hospital where he was diagnosed with hypothermia.

This wasn’t the first call for the Eastbourne Coastguard team; they had been previously called out to recover the body of a man off Beachy Head after reports at approximately 6.45pm that a person has gone over the cliff about half a mile west of the Beachy Head landmark lighthouse. A body was recovered to the cliff top by the Eastbourne Coastguards and it is being investigated by the coroner’s office