Victoria Pier demolition plans to go on public displayPublished date: 13 January 2015
Published by: Matt Jones Conwy County Borough Council will be submitting an application for permission to demolish the pier on health and safety grounds.
WITH substantial parts of Colwyn Bay's Victoria Pier at "serious risk of collapse", plans for its demolition will go on public display.
Later this month Conwy County Borough Council will be submitting an application for permission to demolish the pier on health and safety grounds.
Proposals will be on display between Monday, January 19 and Friday, January 23 between midday and 7pm in the Bay View Centre, opposite Argos.
A council spokesman said: "Consultant engineers have said Victoria Pier Colwyn Bay can no longer be considered stable and substantial parts of it are now at serious risk of collapse; with a recent independent report stating that 75 per of the structural parts have either visibly failed or have corroded so much they no longer provide the strength required.
"Members of the public are invited to view the proposals and find out more about the reasons behind the difficult decision to demolish."
The planning application and listed building consent application will request permission to remove all the decks, the balustrading and support structures, and the pavilion, but to leave 66 per cent of the cast iron columns in place.
It is s also proposed to raise the stone retaining walls to create a safe viewing point and develop a display about the Pier’s history.
A wider programme of community engagement and involvement to mark the history of the Pier is also proposed, so as to help mitigate its loss.
Cllr Dilwyn Roberts, leader of Conwy County Borough Council said: “We know that the Pier Trust hopes to restore the Pier and has submitted a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund, but we have to prepare for the worst and at this point in time the Pier is a danger to the public and a significant drain on scarce public resources.
"In light of these the health and safety implications, we are submitting our application now, in parallel to the Pier Trust/Town Council HLF application.
“The exhibition aims to explain the background to the council’s difficult decision to demolish and shows the proposals that will be submitted to planning, including keeping the ornate columns standing on the beach.”
http://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/142930/victoria-pier-demolition-plans-to-go-on-public-display.aspx