Posted:
06 Feb 2003, 15:15by Graeme
I feel this is the wrong decision and unfair on the pier. Palace/Brighton Pier is expected to be a major tourist attraction in Brighton, yet they aren't allowed 130ft rides (not excessive in the world of amusement parks)!
Quote Tory councillor Carol Theobald:
"There is too much clutter at the end of the pier with all these rides."
Sorry, but without all that clutter, far less people would bother going up the end of the pier. Haven't the council heard of anchor attractions?
The bottom line is two or three 40m attractions at the end of a seaside amusement pier is not too much!
Posted:
06 Feb 2003, 21:46by Nick
Yes, I do think that the planners give Brighton Pier a very hard time, without much justification. It seems that the owners have to go to a public inquiry to get any development on the pier. Yet it is a difficult business in a difficult location (i.e. on the end of a pier), and I really do think that the council should offer them more support. If you can't have big rides on an amusement pier in a place like Brighton, then where can you have them? The council needs to be a little less short-sited. They talk about impact on a listed building (i.e. the pier), but these rides do no damage to it, and in years to come can be removed without any lasting harm to the pier structure. Yet they bring people onto the pier who spend money and ensure the listed structure is well-maintained (which it always seems to be).
It is a bit of a bad week for them, what with planning permission refused and a fire. I hope they appeal the decision.