The Stage

English Heritage fights for West Pier, Brighton

Published Tuesday 3 February 2004 at 11:10 by Sally Bramley

English Heritage has vowed to continue the fight to save Brighton’s West Pier after earmarked funding worth £14 million to rebuild the fragile structure was withdrawn.

Chief executive Simon Thurley called for new efforts to save the structure following the Heritage Lottery Fund’s decision not to go ahead and finance its full refurbishment, claiming the risks and costs involved were “too big to bear”.

Thurley said: “We cannot turn our backs on this internationally famous Grade 1 listed building. Our report of December 2003 concluded that, in conservation terms, it is still possible to save the pier. While there is still a hope we want to explore every viable option to restore the pier, at this stage we believe a return to the 1866 design for a promenade deck would be the most likely to succeed.”

The renovation of the West Pier has been besieged by problems since January last year when part of the ballroom and the walkway collapsed into the sea during fierce storms. In March, a fire engulfed the Pavilion, followed by a second fire in the concert hall in May.

Lottery funding of £14 million had already been set aside by the HLF for renovations but, due to the damage caused, developer St Mowden Properties and the Brighton West Pier Trust was forced to ask for an extra £7 million to reconstruct the pier to its twenties design.

Last week, Liz Forgan, chair of the HLF said any funding would no longer represent the best use of lottery money. She added: “We understand how disappointing this news must be for many people. However, there is no guarantee that costs won’t continue to escalate and the BWPT has made it clear that they have no other funding options than the HLF. This means the risks and costs involved in this project are now just too big for us to bear.”

Now English Heritage is planning to assess the viability of a number of options, including a return to the pier’s original design as a promenade. It hopes to have new proposals in place by September.

Rachel Clarke, general manager of the BWPT, said the group had been “totally astonished” by the HLF’s decision to axe its grant but added that English Heritage’s support crucial: “To have really passionate support is absolutely vital.”

Carole Souter, director of HLF, said it would be happy to look at any “workable” proposals put forward by English Heritage and added: “No one, except the BWPT, has tried harder than us to find a happy ending for this much-loved pier over the last eight years. We are delighted therefore that English Heritage is now getting involved in the campaign to save it.”