Colwyn Bay pier

[bill gates]

Demolition looms for Colwyn Bay's Victoria Pier in bitter legal battle

[treefrog]

Very sad and I can see the appeal Steve had on this project, whatever people wish to to think about his enterprises. I like most I am sure would love to own a small traditional Victorian pier and bring back the traditional entertainments to the public. I believe this type of thing well run could make a success, but the cost of maintaining a 100 year old structure from the elements would either need someone very wealthy or government support.

One day when I am a millionaire

Funnily, a small pier came up for sale near me in Suffolk and it was cheap and in good nick... I was certainly tempted or maybe just dreaming as usual.

[jingle]

Me thinks steve dodged a bullet here
It's in a derelict town
With only pot and smack heads hanging round the streets
Or I mean the charity shops
The only place I would consider investing anything on that coast is Llandudno
It's had millions thrown at it and gets all the tourism now days it's a
Nice place
But the rest of it

[jimmycowman]

Its a bit drastic knocking it down. Lottery money save it?

[gameswat]

That's a pretty damn ugly building and pier there now, inside and out. At least the 1900 building was cool. Maybe if the interior had all the original art deco dating from 1933 there might be some special reason to save it? But really after reading the history just now on Wikipedia it's been on a steady downward slide since the 1950's, so how is that magically going to change?? Tear it down and if they must, build some new kind of attraction on land nearby to suit the world today.

[badpenny]

At the beginning of the millennium, and during more "splash the cash" times it was common to witness The EU throwing money around like a man with no arms.
Many Heritage Projects benefited from this and we currently have many Canal/Railway Centres plus Windmills that are only extant because of these opportunities.
With more urgent crisis descending on Europe that all ended in favour of more humanitarian problems.

Sadly the Lottery money quickly sloped off too, as more and more people realised "It's Not likely to be you!"
As a consequence we've witnessed some awful funding decisions by Camelot. Having used lottery money to set up such services as "Mental Health Support" - "Cancer Support" - "Heart & Neo Natal Research" "Rape Crises Centres" (which incidentally I feel are all services the Government should be providing from the fortunes we all give them annually!) we saw in 2011/12 that the above organisations had their funding whipped out from under them.
Why? The bloody Olympics needed funding! Vague promises of returning money to needy services from the profits made by The Olympics never materialised nor did the assurances that the funding would be returned from 2013.

I know of a disgruntled "business man" in Lincoln (not me, I don't live there any more) who around 20 years ago was buying rundown listed buildings for buttons and then letting EU pay to restore them. He was doing well out of that until the bankers screwed it all up for everyone.

IMO, the above mentioned pier was never going to attract much in the way of a sympathetic ear from any cash rich investor.

As far as renovating Colwyn Bay Pier is concerned it would have been easier and cheaper to have lowered The Irish Sea push the pier around the corner to Blackpool and use it there as additional car parking.

Still 20/20 hindsight is a wonderful thing and if you don't try you'll never know.
As I appear to have an unofficial £25 stake in the thing, I'm glad the bankruptcy stayed with the ones hoping to benefit.

[coppinpr]

if i remember correctly the council dont have enough money to pull it down let alone build something new in a town no one ever goes to.

the design of it looks to me like there was a shortage on money even when it was built,it looks a half hearted attempt to me. I hate to see any go but this looks a hopeless case.

I see Brighton is now calling their new factory chimney lookalike a "vertical pier" can this description be correct in any way? The only way it would make sense is if you call the central tower a pier that supports the gondola that creeps up it

[coppinpr]

I believe this type of thing well run could make a success,

there is a way of making a small fortune running a Victorian pier.....start with a large one

[john t peterson]

Reminds me of the joke about pilots ready to retire.

Question: What are you going to do with your money in retirement, Mr. Pilot?
Answer: I'm going to actively invest it until it's all gone.

J Peterson
Investing in British arcade until it's all gone

[youngerap]

I love piers. Large or small they are a joy to walk and, where possible, it would be nice to see them preserved.

From the video, however, it looks like to restore this pier you would have to demolish it and rebuild from the ground up, replacing every component with a new one. Even from a distance, it looks dangerous! Beats me why anyone would want to own this, given the potential liabilities that would come with it. I am sure the local taxpayers are delighted at picking up that particular waste disposal tab.

[badpenny]

When I was young & good looking, I was a publican.
1980 - 87 and 2000 - 2004.

The funniest comment I kept hearing from customers was ......
"When I get my redundancy I think I'll retire and run a pub."
Retire!? ..... I'd never worked so hard!

[jimmycowman]

We've all got different views..... I think structures of the past should be kept. One day there might be the money to put it right.when it's gone it's gone .. The great British seaside might return....

[pennymachines]

As I understand it, lottery funding was applied for but disqualified from consideration because the council's ownership of the building was unresolved. It's true that most of its architectural value was lost by 1933 when the Victorian pavilion and Bijou theatre were destroyed by fires.

One thing seems certain, the modern aesthetic precludes buildings of such charm and elegance. The Colwyn Bay waterfront developments include this Porth Eirias building which is obviously designed to reflect the nautical environment. In my view it doesn't do so with much grace. I can see why comparison to a skip comes more readily to mind. Monotonous checker plate slabs just don't lift the spirits like ornamental wrought ironwork.

[treefrog]

Oh dear, looks like the council won't have to worry for long as it is self destructing on its own, very sad

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-nort ... s-38841948

[jimmycowman]

Anyone been to the new look peir. Its a lot shorter but at least it's there in some form

[jimmycowman]

Some old photos 2013

[ryan]

Does anyone have access to a digital version of this documentary?

"A year-in-the-making documentary following one man's attempts to rescue and restore Colwyn Bay's Victoria Pier. The structure has dominated the North Wales coastline for over a century but its future now looks uncertain. This programme tracks the pier owner's efforts to stave off bankruptcy and keep the building open for business. Along the way, he receives some much-needed advice from the owners of Weston Super Mare's Grand Pier, which was consumed by fire in 2008."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00g1vgj

[pennymachines]

I don't believe Pier Pressure, 2008, is available online. You could try contacting BBC Wales.