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 385796 times)

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Offline BMD

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Re: The long running saga of Colwyn Bay Pier
« Reply #450 on: December 12, 2013, 12:09:59 pm »
I suspect that with the building of the white elephant skip, the plan all along was to demolish the pier. They just needed to manipulate the figures to make it seem that the only sensible plan is demolition! I still believe that the money wasted on the skip should have been spent on the pier! All very wrong!  &shake&

Certainly, a "hard core" of councillors has been pushing for demolition for years (dating back to when the pier was in a much better condition). It's always puzzled me - why so keen on getting rid of unique, potentially wonderful heritage? (Only 58 surviving piers in Britain).

And whenever the argument turns to cost, all the other recent huge costs (zinc skip, anyone?) are conveniently forgotten.

And the rapidly alternating media story: lottery grant, demolition, lottery grant, demolition. It could be comical, but I find it sad - the wasted opportunities & lack of vision. The narrow bureaucratic mindset apparently triumphing once again over optimism.

Offline DaveR

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Re: The long running saga of Colwyn Bay Pier
« Reply #451 on: December 12, 2013, 12:32:28 pm »
The Council have voted to demolish Colwyn Bay Pier, which is very sad news, I think.

Who will be paying the £1,000,000 cost of demolition?


Offline DaveR

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Re: The long running saga of Colwyn Bay Pier
« Reply #452 on: December 12, 2013, 12:58:11 pm »
Dwsi has kindly created this timeline of events at the Council Meeting this morning:
https://twitter.com/djones7774/timelines/411106834825478144

Offline Yorkie

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Re: The long running saga of Colwyn Bay Pier
« Reply #453 on: December 12, 2013, 01:04:49 pm »
Certainly a sad day but at least the end of years of uncertainty.  The Council now have an opportunity to do something positive and create another attraction that will serve both visitors and the local community alike.  Or as is more likely, build another skip.    ZXZ
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Offline dwsi

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Re: The long running saga of Colwyn Bay Pier
« Reply #454 on: December 12, 2013, 01:33:45 pm »
The councillors who voted for demolishing the pier should be named and shamed.

Offline Merddin Emrys

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Re: The long running saga of Colwyn Bay Pier
« Reply #455 on: December 12, 2013, 01:43:02 pm »
Awful news! Looks like the decision is being opposed and it is grade 2 listed! Seems the Victorians built great structures and our generation let's them be demolished!  &shake&
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Offline dwsi

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Re: The long running saga of Colwyn Bay Pier
« Reply #456 on: December 12, 2013, 01:48:53 pm »
COUNCILLORS VOTE TO DEMOLISH COLWYN BAY PIER


By DAVID POWELL DAILY POST

COUNCILLORS have voted to demolish Colwyn Bay’s 113-year-old Grade II-listed pier - but questions remain over its ownership and how long it would take Cadw to remove its listed building status.
In a passionate, two-hour debate, Conwy Councillors heard from officers that funding towards its £15,269,902 restoration from the Welsh Government and European Union would be harder to find than in previous years.
In addition, Conwy will need to save £14.6m next year and £12.2m the following year.
Cllr Dave Cowans said it would be a “massive risk” to take on the long term future of the pier, currently costing the authority £53,000 a year to maintain.
The councillors voted by a majority for Option One, out of six choices, which stated: “Seek de-listing and demolish the entire pier”.
But afterwards businesman Steve Hunt called the proceedings “farcical” because he believes a Cardiff county court case in May or June will uphold his ownership of the Victorian pier, built in 1900.
He said: “It’s farcical. The only people who say Conwy Council owns the pier are Conwy Council. They think if they keep repeating it people will believe it.”
He also said: “They can’t demolish a listed building.”
Mr Hunt, who had joined about 20 Save The Pier supporters and residents in the public gallery, wore a black denim jacket with the words “The Nightmare Before Christmas” in red stitching on it.
Also outside the council chamber in Bodlondeb, pier group campaigner Gavin Davies, Shore Thing Ltd director, said: “We urge the public to go back and lobby their councillors to get this (demolition) decision reversed due to the fact there’s a lot of funding options out there. We can prove to Cadw it’s savable.”
He said that Hastings pier in East Sussex, built in 1872, was an example of how a heritage structure could be restored successfully.
On Conwy’s decision, he said: “They’re rushing things. Colwyn Bay pier has stood since 1900. We had one of the worst storms in years last week and it’s still there.”
Earlier in the debate, Cllr Ronnie Hughes had said: “This authority at the moment cannot afford to put a penny into capital projects. Sometimes it’s better to pull out now and not mislead people than to say to the Heritage Lottery Fund we’ve not got the funds. That would be morally wrong.”
Cllr Brian Cossey said Conwy was in a “cleft stick” and it would be difficult to vote to demolish something which had beeen in his “back garden” for 60 years.
And he said: “If we try to have the property delisted I’m sure Shore Thing and other people will object.”
But Sasha Davies, Conwy’s strategic director - economy and place, said trying to restore it would be financially risky.
She said: “If all the funding was in place, once the restoration was done we would hand over operations of the pier to Shore Thing. But under the terms of the draft lease if Shore Thing couldn’t finance the pier that would be handed back to the council. That’s a significant risk for the authority.”
She said £37m is already going to Colwyn Bay’s waterfront and it is “very unfortunate” to have an “eyesore” close to Porth Eirias.
But she said £311,000 would be needed by Shore Thing towards any £15m pier project.
Shore Thing recently raised £2,000 in three weeks from supporters.

Offline BMD

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Re: The long running saga of Colwyn Bay Pier
« Reply #457 on: December 12, 2013, 01:55:13 pm »
Awful news! Looks like the decision is being opposed and it is grade 2 listed! Seems the Victorians built great structures and our generation let's them be demolished!  &shake&

A council that won't permit listed-building windows to be replaced by UPVC.

But a council that permits a Victorian pier to be replaced by the world's most expensive skip.

Offline dwsi

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Re: The long running saga of Colwyn Bay Pier
« Reply #458 on: December 12, 2013, 02:00:23 pm »
http://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/129153/update-conwy-councillors-vote-to-de-list-and-demolish-colwyn-bay-pier.aspx

Conwy councillors vote to de-list and demolish Colwyn Bay pier
Published date: 12 December 2013 | Published by: Iwan Berry

 
THE FUTURE of Colwyn Bay pier was dealt a heavy blow this afternoon, after members of Conwy County Borough Council voted to pursue the de-listing and demolition of the Grade II listed building.

In a dramatic meeting at council headquarters at Bodlondeb, a majority of council members voted to de-list and demolish the Victoria Pier.


The option of demolition  - one of six in a council report put to members - was proposed by Cllr Goronwy Edwards, who said any cost of keeping the pier would be "unsustainable", and having a continued eyesore on the front could put the regeneration of the town into question.

Cllr William Knightly said the council could not afford to spend money on "white elephants" - least of all in the context of a suggested five per cent rise in Council Tax.

Cllr Brian Cossey raised the fact that members did not know how much de-listing and demolition would cost; and also the possible opposition such a move could face from Cadw and Shore Thing.

Cllr Cossey proposed that councillors defer the decision until costs for demolition could be put together - but this was rejected at the final vote.

Other options proposed included outright redevelopment of the pier, as per a submission with the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF); and creating a number of "concession units" on the boardwalk.

But these were not enough to win the day, with a majority of councillors voting to demolish the pier.

Cllr Chris Hughes, a representative of the Glyn Ward in Colwyn Bay, said after the decision was made that he "felt numb".

He said: "I don't know what to say. It's a sad day. Demolition is the one decision that didn't seem to stand up. We don't know how long it's going to take, nor what the costs are going to be."

He added: "Shore Thing will continue to fight any move towards demolition and they have my full support in that."

Steve Hunt, who is in an ongoing legal battle with the council over ownership of the pier, said he was "not at all concerned" by the decision, and he would continue to pursue ownership in the courts.


Isn't the skip next door a "white elephant"?

Offline BMD

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Re: The long running saga of Colwyn Bay Pier
« Reply #459 on: December 12, 2013, 03:19:42 pm »
I see that in the Daily Post's online poll, an overwhelmingly majority (75%) of people chose renovation (50% for the boardwalk option at £3.7m, and 25% for the £9m option with restored pavilion).



http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/colwyn-bays-victoria-pier-knocked-6383670

Offline Gaylord Screwsby

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Re: The long running saga of Colwyn Bay Pier
« Reply #460 on: December 12, 2013, 07:25:16 pm »
Disgraceful decision.

Offline Fester

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Re: The long running saga of Colwyn Bay Pier
« Reply #461 on: December 12, 2013, 07:30:29 pm »
When oh when will politicians realise that they are public SERVANTS, and are elected to implement the wishes of those who voted for them.... NOT to simply ride roughshod over public opinion when things get too complicated for them.

They have spent millions creating a new eyesore that no one asked for,  instead of spending that same money on restoring an eyesore that the majority wanted to keep.   How can this come about?
Fester...
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Offline Merddin Emrys

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Re: The long running saga of Colwyn Bay Pier
« Reply #462 on: December 12, 2013, 08:10:02 pm »
Because they are a group of village idiots?  &shake&
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Offline Yorkie

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Re: The long running saga of Colwyn Bay Pier
« Reply #463 on: December 12, 2013, 08:50:33 pm »
When oh when will politicians realise that they are public SERVANTS, and are elected to implement the wishes of those who voted for them.... NOT to simply ride roughshod over public opinion when things get too complicated for them.

They have spent millions creating a new eyesore that no one asked for,  instead of spending that same money on restoring an eyesore that the majority wanted to keep.   How can this come about?

Perhaps, just perhaps, the Councillors have taken opinions of the electorate and the decision they made is based on the view of the majority!  Or should there be a local Referendum?   WWW
Wise men have something to say.
Fools have to say something.
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Offline DaveR

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Re: The long running saga of Colwyn Bay Pier
« Reply #464 on: December 12, 2013, 09:16:39 pm »
Perhaps, just perhaps, the Councillors have taken opinions of the electorate
Keep the jokes coming Yorkie, that's a goodun.  _))*