Comment: the future of the pier is privatisation
James Harrod, editor of Longpier.com argues that it’s now time to sell off the area’s biggest asset to a private company.
I don’t write many opinion pieces but there is one subject that really upsets me. The future of our famous “pleasure” pier; the longest in the world. Of course my website was named after this iconic Victorian structure. The thing is there’s not that much “pleasure” to be had on it, is there?
I’ll state at this point I’m of no political persuasion. I have no affiliation to any party and do not intend this piece to attack current or previous administrations. But. simply put, not enough has been done collectively over the years. Of course, the pier’s had its fair share of bad luck; huge fires, damage from ships, and nature taking its toll. Despite all this though, we still have an unique attraction and I fear we’re losing sight of restoring the pier to its former glory.
We should cherish it. It’s only a matter of time before Dubai or Shanghai decides to build a longer pier and Southend’s biggest selling point will have gone.
It’s for these reasons that I suggest the council should sell the pier to a private firm. Of course, any sale should include conditions; no alterations to the length, significant development at the pier head to benefit all sections of the local community and proper maintenance and security 24/7. The pier is Grade II listed, so a specialist firm would need to deal with the sale.
The current council has applied for numerous government grants to help develop the pier. Every time however, they’ve been unsuccessful. The most recent attempt was last year, when it ran a £6,000 competition. Architects around the world submitted plans. A Swedish firm won and put together impressive designs, adopted by the powers that be at the Civic Centre. The council was willing to put £1m of taxpayers money to the project, but £4m needed to come from a government grant. Ultimately, officials (and us) were disappointed. The money went elsewhere, including a significant amount to the regeneration of Margate.
It’s likely the council would argue it could never afford £5m of taxpayers money, especially in these tough times. If that’s the case, fine. Sell the pier, reinvest the money into local services and let someone else be responsible for taking it into its next phase. It’s been a huge weight around the neck of councillors for years – time for that to be lifted. Only this week there were rumours of another council bid for government cash. Forget it, move on and reap the rewards of someone else’s efforts.
