185 Metre Spire Proposed on West Pier Site

Added: 12 August 2006

Plans for a major development on the seafront next to the West Pier were submitted to the council on 17 July 2006, which sought planning permission for a partial demolition of Brighton’s beloved West Pier and construction of an observation spire (approximately 183 metres high), including shops and a coach park.

The council are claiming that public consultation is now underway, and that written representations on these applications should be submitted to the council by 18 August 2006.

Brighton and Hove City Council has come under fire recently for supporting other high rise developments along the coastline - the fight against the Gehry towers at the King Alfred site continues, and councillors, including Regency ward councillor Roy Pennington, recently voted to allow a skyscraper to be built on the Brighton Marina sweeping aside an act of parliament stating that nothing should be built higher than the cliff face. Now Brighton and Hove residents are worried this will set a precedent for other seafront developments, marring the historic seafront and creating, as described by Councillor Francis Tonks at a recent council meeting, “Croydon-on-Sea”.

One Regency Square resident told us they were against the development. “I don’t want to see a planning application with shops just like the one we fought several years ago. I don’t think it’s the right place for this huge spire. A few people are in favour as they think it is the lesser of all evils, but I don’t see it that way. If something is unsuitable for an area it must be treated as such, and we must hold off for a plan that is genuinely agreeable to everyone. This isn’t it.”

A Planning Applications Sub-Committee decision date for the i360 applications has not yet been set but is expected in September of this year, subject to the outcome of the assessment of the applications.

If you wish to object you must quote the application numbers in all correspondence: full planning application number is BH2006/02369; listed building consent application number is BH2006/02372. The planning officer dealing with these applications is Luke Perkins (0. Do be sure to send us copies of your emails to info@brightonbeautiful.com for our communications archive.

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