Poll

What should be done with Colwyn Bay Pier?

Demolish it
Carry out basic renovation (spend up to £5m)
Carry out comprehensive renovation, including all buildings (spend up to £10m)

Author Topic: The long running saga of Colwyn Bay Pier  (Read 385991 times)

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Offline Fester

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Re: The long running saga of Colwyn Bay Pier
« Reply #300 on: January 21, 2012, 09:41:04 pm »
In that case, that Christmas Tree structure should be 'Exhibit A' in the case against him getting his sticky mitts on it ever again.
Fester...
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Offline DaveR

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Re: The long running saga of Colwyn Bay Pier
« Reply #301 on: January 21, 2012, 09:52:40 pm »
...and here's a photo of it. Note all the rotten decking in front of it!


Offline Yorkie

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Re: The long running saga of Colwyn Bay Pier
« Reply #302 on: January 22, 2012, 10:07:35 am »
Looks as though he could be a contender for erecting the Christmas Lights next year in Llandudno!    What will Wrex think?      :laugh:
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Offline DaveR

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Re: The long running saga of Colwyn Bay Pier
« Reply #303 on: January 30, 2012, 09:00:59 pm »
Time to resurrect Steve Hunt's email from April 2011:

"...Once the pier is in the ownership of the Council, or they might give it to Pier Pressure to try and throw the scent off the Council for a few weeks whilst they carry out their next criminal act, there will be a "MYSTERIOUS FIRE" towards summer. Naturally, the Police will have "no clues" as to who started the fire, and blame it on "mindless vandals".
After the fire, the pier will be declared too unsafe and too far gone to save (by the Council appointed surveyors, of course), and so the announcement will be made that "sadly" the pier has to be demolished,
but that the Council "did everything they could" to save it - in order to try and save a back-lash from local tax-payers who will hopefully see through their plot.
 
This is all planned out already - if any of you have seen the approved, submitted and funded plans for the vast expanse of grey concrete that is to be the new promenade, you will already know that the pier is NOT there - they have absolutely every intention of getting rid of it at all costs - which you are paying for - before the end of the year, ready for phase 2 of 'concrete ally' to start next spring.
 
RPG, in a meeting with the Council said: "We will make sure Mr Hunt never gets the pier back, whatever happens".  I have witnesses ready to testify to that under oath in Court.
 
Remember dear taxpayer, the £1.2m demolition cost, the hundreds of thousands in legal costs so far, and the multi-million pound compensation claim that will be brought against them in due course is all COMING OUT OF YOUR POCKETS - they are not paying for this - you are. The local part of the Council Tax will go up, and services will go down to pay for it. This personal vendetta by Ken Finch against me is costing YOU money, whilst he managed to get his feet under Byron Davies' desk and put his own wages up.

Think I'm just paranoid or lost the plot? - by all means think that - but I guarantee you'll be eating your words by the end of 2011.
Print this email out, and as the events above unfold before your eyes over the coming months, you can tick them off one by one."

 :laugh:  :laugh:  :laugh:

Offline Fester

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Re: The long running saga of Colwyn Bay Pier
« Reply #304 on: January 30, 2012, 11:25:50 pm »
He's been strangely quiet of late, Mr Hunt.

He should be suitably embarrassed by what you have posted there, and never again concern himself with Pier business.

 &shake& &shake& &shake& &shake& &shake& &shake& &shake& &shake& &shake& &shake& &shake& &shake& &shake&
Fester...
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Offline Bri Roberts

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Re: The long running saga of Colwyn Bay Pier
« Reply #305 on: February 21, 2012, 01:43:47 pm »
Here is a report involving David Jones, MP for Colwyn Bay, and a pier he visited yesterday not far from Cardiff Bay.

http://www.walesoffice.gov.uk/2012/02/20/wales-office-minister-visits-%E2%80%98inspiring%E2%80%99-penarth-pavilion-restoration/

Offline DaveR

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Re: The long running saga of Colwyn Bay Pier
« Reply #306 on: February 21, 2012, 02:23:53 pm »
Let's hope the one in his own constituency receives a bit of attention from him.

Offline Michael

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Re: The long running saga of Colwyn Bay Pier
« Reply #307 on: February 29, 2012, 09:52:31 pm »
I have been told by a gentleman who is actively involved with the pier at this time, that "something retail and/or catering" will definitely be operating at the pier entrance over the Easter bank holiday. According to him this is the first very small step towards the future. Mike

Offline viv

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Re: The long running saga of Colwyn Bay Pier
« Reply #308 on: February 29, 2012, 10:24:15 pm »
How exciting - probably a hot dog van on the forecourt!

Offline DaveR

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Re: The long running saga of Colwyn Bay Pier
« Reply #309 on: March 20, 2012, 09:59:00 am »
Pier Pressure - campaigners waiting for result of £4.8m aid bid
Published date: 14 March 2012 | Published by: Iwan Berry
 
 
PIER campaigners face a nail biting 12 days before finding out if their bid to save the landmark is successful.


The future of Colwyn Bay’s dilapidated pier will be decided by the Heritage Lottery Fund which has been asked for £4.8 million towards the cost of restoring the building.


About £10 million is needed to bring the pier back to life with the bid spearheaded by independent group Shore Thing and Conwy County Borough Council.


D-Day is March 26 and, if the funding bid is successful, a 15 month redevelopment of the structure will start.


Late March will also see a court decision made on the ownership of the pier – an issue made all the more crucial by the fact that HLF extended their deadline for the application to allow the issue to be resolved.


Overall funding for the project is estimated to cost about £10million with £2.1 million needed to restore the structure. If the lottery fund bid is successful the way will open for Shore Thing and the county council to cast the net for further funding.


Plans for the pier’s future were unveiled early in November, detailing the planned split of the pier and surrounding area into four distinct zones; promenade, entertainment, learning and commercial.


Jay Martin, Chairman of Shore Thing, described the meeting as “the first key stage” in the development.


Penny Davies, chair of the Pier Pressure Group, said: “We discuss possibilities, but if we hadn’t been optimistic, we wouldn’t be where we are now. But this is a crucial time, and we’re just hoping with the momentum going well everywhere else, we’re on the right rollercoaster.


“I don’t see why not to be optimistic.”


Shore Thing is also looking for applicants with backgrounds in fundraising, construction, volunteer management, finance, public relations and marketing.


Applications, accompanied by a CV, should be sent to The Company Secretary, Colwyn Bay Shore Thing, 15 Hillside Road, Colwyn Bay, LL29 7EL.

http://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/111118/pier-pressure-campaigners-waiting-for-result-of-4-8m-aid-bid.aspx

Offline Fester

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Re: The long running saga of Colwyn Bay Pier
« Reply #310 on: March 20, 2012, 10:11:01 am »
That might be a better and more appropriate job for Yorkie,  (better than a County Councillor at lest) .... I see all these skills present in his CV!
Fester...
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Offline Yorkie

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Re: The long running saga of Colwyn Bay Pier
« Reply #311 on: March 20, 2012, 01:41:05 pm »
Don't want the pier pressure!    L0L
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Offline DaveR

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Re: The long running saga of Colwyn Bay Pier
« Reply #312 on: March 23, 2012, 12:47:51 pm »
Daily Post
by David Powell

A PIVOTAL decision on funding for a derelict pier will be made next week – but cannot be announced until after the May local elections in case it’s used for unfair political gain by electioneering candidates.

Heritage Lottery Fund chiefs rule on a £4.9m grant bid to redevelop Colwyn Bay’s Victoria Pier on Tuesday.

But they are not allowed to divulge the decision until after Conwy County Council elections on May 3, 37 days later.

A Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) spokesman yesterday said: “An application for £4,965,000 to save the Grade II-listed Colwyn Bay Pier is going to the HLF Board on Tuesday, March 27.

“But owing to the restricted period of electoral ‘purdah’ the Board is very unlikely to be able to make its decision public until after the local elections.”

If the lottery fund bid is successful the way will open for campaigners in community group Shore Thing and the county council to look for further funding. The £4,965,000 would represent 43% of the estimated £10m needed to redevelop the pier.

In the first stage of any two-stage HLF grant, a relatively small sum would fund a feasibility study and business case to be made this year. A second larger tranche would follow for building work.

If the lottery fund bid is unsuccessful then it would mean the pier would cost £1m to demolish or it could be allowed to rot.

The pier was previously owned by businessman Steve Hunt. He got into a wrangle with Conwy Council over business rates and council tax and was declared bankrupt in summer 2008. That bankruptcy has now been discharged.

Currently, the pier is being cared for by the Crown Estate but its long-term ownership is uncertain.

Welsh Office Minister and Clwyd West MP David Jones said the funding is pivotal. “It’s extremely important to Colwyn Bay that the pier, which is currently a disfigurement on the seafront, should be put into reasonable condition.

“Ideally, I would like to see it completely restored and am very hopeful that the Heritage Lottery Grant bid will be successful.”

He added: “I understand legal issues about the ownership remain to be addressed. I hope that this can be sorted out as quickly as possible.”

The election rules means that a funding announcement may not be publicised until May to avoid well-informed candidates scoring political points over rivals.

The MP said: “People will be anxious to know the result but the rules are in place for a very good reason.”

A Conwy County Council spokesman said: “The council is in the process of acquiring the pier.”

Offline DaveR

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Re: The long running saga of Colwyn Bay Pier
« Reply #313 on: March 28, 2012, 09:47:08 am »
It has just been announced that CCBC are the new owners of Colwyn Bay Pier.  $good$

At last the deadlock is broken!

Offline DaveR

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Re: The long running saga of Colwyn Bay Pier
« Reply #314 on: March 28, 2012, 12:39:28 pm »
BBC Story:

Colwyn Bay pier: Conwy council takes over ownership

Conwy council said it was the new owner of Colwyn Bay's 112-year-old Victoria pier, after the Welsh government acquired it from the Crown Estate.

Funding will now be sought to redevelop the landmark which once hosted performers such as Morecambe and Wise, Harry Secombe and Elvis Costello.

The pier has been shut since its former owner was made bankrupt in July 2008.

A consultation on multi-million pound plans for the pier's redevelopment was launched in November 2011.

The proposals for pier, which opened in June 1900, included a restaurant, revamped pavilion theatre and shops.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-west-wales-17536844