What does the future hold for the pier?

A public meeting has been called to discuss of Herne Bay's iconic pier.

Ed Targett, the prospective Green Party MP for Herne Bay, has called a meeting (7pm Sunday, 23rd November at the King's Hall) in order to discuss how the pier could be extended or rebuilt. He claims the short term plans of the Pier Trust, which runs the pier are "profoundly lacking in ambition" and accused them of standing in the way of proposals to rebuild the pier as a £70 million marina.

But Doreen Stone said the timing of the meeting was just a day before the trust is due to take part in ITV's People's Millions programme. She said:

"It is very short notice for the meeting as this is the day before the People's Millions and we will be working on that. I have been working my socks off with the trust for our plans for the pier and we presented this to the Herne Bay members panel (last week). We have no objection to the marina plan. If someone came forward with £70million we would support it. Ultimately, I want to do what is best for Herne Bay because I love the town.We are just trying to provide something fun for people in Herne Bay."

Ed Targett says the public meeting date was chosen to accommodate a group member coming from Spain and said he hopes the pier trust is in its People Millions bid. He added:

"This meeting is a great opportunity for the Pier Trust to present its short term and long term plans and face some robust questioning about them. I've invited them and I really hope they'll turn up. We’ll be revisiting the mothballed Pier Marina plans and three Pier reports for the sake of frank discussion."

Asked what he was hoping for from the meeting, Ed Targett said:

"We can have a robust discussion about should be a vital town asset, perhaps finding some common ground for the future between people who are too frequently at loggerheads, and hopefully we can clarify some apparent confusion about the various plans and reports out there.

No personal attacks, throwing of rotten vegetables, or shouting please... It’s an emotive topic but I'm sure people can 'play nice'. Please do come along and invite friends and family."

The public meeting is at 7pm Sunday, 23rd November at the King's Hall.

HB Times 16th Nov 2014

Pier news: decking to be replaced for £140k

More than 700 square metres of the timber decking that surrounds the central tarmac area on Herne Bay pier will be replaced in a project costing around £140,000.

Inspections have shown that while the pier's substructure is sound, the timber runners and decking are not in such good condition and have deteriorated since the pavilion was removed. The area around the seaward end has been closed off for safety reasons, but the repairs will mean it can reopen.

The council's Executive member for Herne Bay pier, Cllr Jean Law, said the work would ensure the pier will continue to be an asset for the town. She added:

"The future for the pier is looking really bright, with the success of the new beach hut village and some great events that have taken place this year – and more to come in the run-up to Christmas. We are also hoping for some exciting proposals to come through from potential operators of the main deck area. We're very pleased to be getting this work done to the decking out of peak season so that disruption is kept to a minimum and hope people like the end result."

The 12 village beach huts will remain open for business throughout the work and hut tenants are asking for the continued support of customers. The popular helter-skelter is scheduled to return for Christmas clad in lights and there will be additional children's stalls.

Santa will be at the business fair in Mortimer Street on the first weekend in December and then on the pier each weekend until Christmas, and the Pier Trust is organising German-style market stalls at the pier entrance each weekend in December. Charity groups or traders wanting a space should email david.mccormick@tiscali.co.uk

Chairman of the Pier Trust, Doreen Stone, said:

"The trust is delighted that the extensive renovation of the wood on and beneath the pier by the city council is starting and will be fully cooperating with the engineers while this work takes place. We're looking forward to weeks of activities in the lead-up to Christmas, so come and join in the fun and support your pier."

CCC website

Pier Trust EGM Minutes

I couldn't make it to the EGM on 10th July, so I asked the Trustees what had happened, and what the results were of any votes that were taken. I got conflicting reports as to whether anything had been sent to some or all of the members. I hadn't received anything, and neither had several other paid-up members.

I knew that one of the motions to be voted on was the election of Trustees. I asked who the Trustees of the HBPT now are. There was no answer. I find this astonishing and disappointing.

The Board should have published the Minutes to the membership within days of the EGM - that's simply courtesy. Given that they hadn't published the Minutes, the reply to any member asking for the identity of the current Trustees should  have been to rattle off their names. Instead, I was told that my request would be considered.

However, the day after threatening to raise the matter of Secret Trustees with the Charity Commission, the Minutes and the identity of the Trustees appeared on the HBPT Facebook page. The Minutes are reproduced below.

The current trustees are:
Doreen Stone - chair
Aileen Barker - membership and lots more
David McCormick - Health and Safety and Events
Lynn Faux-Bowyer - Treasurer
Andrew Cook - CCC appointed trustee - Company Secretary
Joe Howes - CCC appointed trustee - external liaison

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The EGM Minutes

HERNE BAY PIER TRUST
Minutes EGM 10th July 2013 Christchurch Hall Herne Bay

Present: Doreen Stone (Chair)
Aileen Barker
Lynn Faux-Bowyer
Joe Howes
Andrew Cook
David McCormick
Members as recorded on signing in sheet.

Agenda item 1:
Doreen Stone began the update announcement with the fact that the Pier Opening day was attended by the National Piers Society which is very supportive of what was being organised. They also suggested that they may consider holding their next AGM in Herne Bay.

(The meeting was interrupted by the arrival of Andy Newell, former member and trustee. When he was asked to leave because an EGM is open only to members, a member on the floor made a proposal, which was seconded, that the Meeting be suspended until he left followed by a unanimous vote in favour. He did leave and the meeting resumed.)

DS continued with the update – The Trust had been granted a Planning Permit for 18 Retail Huts (an initial 12 to be followed by a further 6). She announced that the Trust had applied for the Lease of the complete platform area now it had been confirmed that the Golf Application would not operate this year. The £2k loan money had generated 1.5 jobs on the Pier so far and one hut owner was already considering employing extra staff to meet demand for teas/cakes etc.

HBPT needed an income of £65,000 to move to the next stage of managing the platform. Work by CCC on renovating the decking where the next 6 huts are to be built would begin in Oct. She suggested the Trust should now plan for an all weather building/structure on the platform which, if it included a heritage and information centre, maybe with a sea- themed attraction? One of our members has suggested approaching RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) to hold a design competition for students of architecture for Herne Bay Pier.

Agenda Item 2: Election of Officers.
There were 2 applicants – Aileen Barker & David McCormick. They both spoke to the Meeting and the voting took place.
Ds informed the meeting and listed the Proxy votes she had received – a total of 24 supporting her choices and 1 against the motions.
Total number of votes possible (incl proxy votes) = 42.
Results: Aileen Barker total in favour - 41
David McCormick total in favour - 41.
Both candidates unanimously elected as HBPT Trustees.

Volunteers- have become essential to the running of the Trust and there was a suggestion from the floor that maybe a 2nd tier of 'management' to work alongside the Board should be considered. This was agreed and that the trust should ask the Charities Commission for advice on this.

Agenda Item 3: This motion was to confirm the ruling in the Articles of Association and the Memorandum of Association the Board of Trustees can operate within the constitutionally specified number of Trustees required at any one time with a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 11. This was agreed – 41 for and 1 proxy against.

Agenda Item 4: That the Articles of Association be amended to state that the term of office for non CCC appointees is 3 years and that they must stand for re-election after that period; trustees to be permitted to hold position for a maximum of 3 consecutive terms. This was agreed 41 for and 1 proxy against.

The Chair, Doreen Stone, thanked everyone for attending and hoped they would spread the word on the positive progress of the HBPT. Meeting closed @ 19.55

After the meeting closed some points were raised for Board discussion eg
More notices about activities on pier such as:
- Boards with Hut Vendors names listed
- Large Chalk Boards with notices
- Press releases on regular basis showing how new businesses were being supported and new employment created by the Hut Village
- The importance of integrated community involvement to raise the profile of Herne Bay.

Opening of the Retail Beach Hut Village on the Pier

Grand Opening of The Retail Beach Hut Village

Hello Everyone,

In the last few weeks there has been a lot of work carried out by both the Trust and the Proprietors at the Retail Beach Hut Village and completion is close at hand. 

The Grand Opening will now be next Saturday 6th July at 12:00 noon.

We are delighted that the opening ceremony will be carried out by Sandi Toksvig, author, comedian, radio and TV presenter and by Reculver Councillor Ann Taylor, Sheriff of Canterbury.

There is going to be a wide range of items to buy and to eat so please come along and be part of the exciting start of the new revitalized Herne Bay Pier.

I look forward to seeing you there.

Doreen Stone, Chairman, Herne Bay Pier Trust

Easter Newsletter from the Pier Trust

The trustees would like to thank you for all the support you have given us the last few months and we wish you a very happy Easter break.

There is a lot going on at present – it looks as if the planning permission for a retail village on the pier is going to be successful and we are now busy with bids for the money to build it. This is an exciting time for the regeneration of the pier. We have a vision that by next Christmas we shall all see the pier lit up like a ship with people buying their jacket potatoes, pancakes and mulled wine and browsing among the shopping units for gifts.

This spring, special thanks goes to the 87 members who replied either by letter or email to our last newsletter – many of you wrote up to a page on what you would like to happen on the pier, both short and long term. With this high level of supportive response - nearly 25% of our membership writing to us - we really feel that we now know what members of HBPT want from us and we promise that we shall do our best to implement your wishes. As trustees of a charity our first responsibility is to represent our members’ opinions.

Over the next four weeks, we aim to reply to everyone who sent in their views and answer any questions you put to us.

Best wishes, Doreen Stone, HBPT Chairman.

Bringing the Pier to Life in 2013

Do you or someone you know want to sell seaside goods? Looking for a prime outlet for quality crafts and produce? Where better than on the pier!

Come and talk to the Pier Trust about it. HBPT is inviting established and new businesses, individuals and groups to apply for one of its beach hut kiosks.

The 18 Pier Trust Retail Beach Kiosks for which we have put in planning permission will run up the right hand side of the leg and round the corner onto the platform. They will make a bright cheery shopping place much the same as the one at Whitstable Harbour but more fun and with lots more colour.

We envisage the beach hut village offering quality traditional seaside products including gifts, sweets and rock, ices, artwork, crafts, seaside gifts, toys, fish and chips, sea foods, farmers’ produce, plants, jewellery and books. However, the Trust is open to ideas and will welcome all enquiries for other sales.

Please drop a note with your contact details into the Pier Trust Gallery and Shop or email us on hbpt.office@gmail.com to discuss your enquiry.

The big advantage for the initial 12 – 14 units will be that they will be cleverly situated to utilize the existing canopy for extra protection against rain and wind with windshields in the gaps between the huts. This will provide shoppers with a sheltered walkway in all weathers. 

Despite the Trust’s reservations about the mini-golf – reservations which we sent to CCC when we first heard about the plans in mid-November - an attraction aiming to bring additional people past the beach hut kiosks is likely to make the units very viable. (Incidentally, we heard about the mini golf plans at the same time as we had just submitted our own business plans for the platform including a community stage, events marquis, café and seating.)

The retail kiosks will be decorated in traditional beach hut colours with lock-up counters and electricity. On the back walls, the huts will spell out HERNE BAY PIER .We also hope to remove, replace or decorate some of the unsightly blue panels dividing the leg of the pier.

The business plan we have now submitted is based on a monthly rental of approximately £275 per unit - less than £70 a week which includes electricity. Established businesses will also be liable for rates but new sellers with a small turnover will be rate free. As we have received a lot of enquiries from people such as artists who want to book a unit for a short term, we are currently reconsidering this.  For longer term bookings, even if the kiosk is available for 12 months, we shall only be charging for 10 months to take into account the weather conditions.

One beach hut will be reserved without charge for community groups and charities to book into.

The Trust has a lot of additional ideas for the pier area including temporary concessions, farmers’ markets, art weekends, antique markets and exhibitions. We are also still considering a ‘shared community use’ stage for live music and possibly a film or two…Jaws or Mama Mia - which one first?

Recent Events since New Year

Herne Bay Music Launch at King’s Hall 

We would like to thank Emily Edwards who contacted us last summer to discuss her and business partner, Carl Crane’s, plans to launch their Herne Bay Music with first proceeds donated to the Pier Trust. We were delighted that the musical evening of February 9th at the King’s Hall was such a success. More than 250 people of all ages attended and had a wonderfully well organised evening of music.

Trustees first met Emily, who is only 18 and still at school, when she presented a remarkably professional pitch to the Board last summer and we are glad we chose to support her plans. The managers of the King’s Hall transformed the ballroom and with the help of ex-trustee, David Shepherd, the evening was full of good humour and music of up and coming bands.

Well done, Emily and Carl, and thank you for the donation to the Pier Trust. It was a pleasure to work with you. Wait until we are ready for performance on the pier! We’ll have a venue to be proud of.

Gallery and Shop News

Come and see the new look Gallery and Shop – open now from 11.00am – 5.00pm from Friday to Sunday every week. Alan Beales, its manager, has filled it with gifts, cards, an exhibition of artists’ work on the theme of the sea front and pier. The gallery also displays pictures explaining the work currently being done on the esplanade and lots of information of the pier old and new. We are pleased to share the space with Herne Bay in Bloom who also have an exhibition of their work. If you wish to renew your membership, drop in for a chat, look at the pictures on sale or deliver a letter to us, you will be made most welcome by Alan and his team of volunteers without whom it would be very hard for the Trust to function. Another volunteer, Colin Barker, is heading up our new events team. If you would like to join either team, please pop into the gallery.

Junior News

In January, two of us spent a delightful afternoon meeting the year 6 pupils at Herne Bay Junior School. The children had, that morning, walked along to the pier and so our visual presentation which was full of pictures and questions about the history of the piers fitted usefully into their current local project.

During February, the pupils spent time drawing their ideas for the future pier cleverly using computer aided design software to remarkable effect. Some chose to construct models of their design concepts. We now have an exhibition of their work running at the Gallery and Shop in Central Parade. Come and have a look.

A Junior HBPT Club

Following our recent happy interaction with both the primary schools and Herne Bay High, we would like to start a Junior Pier Trust Club this spring. After all, continuing local pride in Herne Bay and a willingness to carry on developing the pier plans when we are finished will be in their hands in due course. We hope to involve the younger generation in events, performance and generating ideas.

Wine and Wisdom

On March 22nd we held our fourth Quiz Evening at the King’s Hall. As Peter was already booked, we were lucky to have Gideon Scott and his team in charge of the evening. Thanks Gideon. The food provided by the staff was also excellent. Thanks also to all who donated prizes for the raffle which included a fruit basket from Peter’s Produce, a cake from the Pantry, and an Egg basket from Mrs Cook. The auction of wood craft including a unique garden chair made the evening an excellent fundraising event for the Trust. 

The Pier Head

We have recently attempted to rescue our lights and equipment from the pier head but the weather conditions and rotting wood made this too difficult. However, another attempt will be made as we would like to use the equipment along the leg. There are also suggestions abroad that maybe the metal structure of the café can be rescued and reconstructed on the shore at the entrance of the pier. 

The Long Pier - a shared vision for members and trustees

The responses we received from nearly 90 members (not including ourselves) were full of ideas and strong opinions about the future of the long pier and the returns made very enlightening reading. They supported the Board’s reluctance to support siting a marina at the end of the pier and only 2 of the members’ responses voted for this option.

The letter from the marina engineer which appeared in both local papers had clearly impressed readers with its viewpoint and his expert experience. His opinion echoed the reservations which Marina Projects, a marina company sub-contracted by Gifford in the 2011 Report, expressed when they recommended the Trust to look at alternative options for the marina other than at the end of pier. The 2011 Draft Report stated that a marina a mile out at sea was not the recommended option. While fully supporting any other group wishing to work on a marina project, the Pier Trust will confine itself to re-establishing a pier as a community asset for all residents to enjoy. 

One of the previous trustees has passed onto us the valuable work she had done on what makes a pier successful – much appreciated as we are about to start researching and contacting the most popular pier trusts in UK. Herne Bay Pier will need a unique selling point to attract investment and bring in the visitors. Armed with the information in the reports and having subsumed the rebuild objective back into the Board, we shall be working hard this year bringing our existing pier back to life.

We have a busy year ahead but now the trustees and members have a shared vision.

Pier Trust Chair puts her case

Doreen Stone (co-Chair of the HBPT) posted this on the "official" Pier Trust Facebook site, in response to Graham Cooper's letter.

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Hello members and friends,

I am responding to Graham's post I understand from the HB Times that rebuild were contacted by Liz. The facts and figures were extracted without doctoring or special selection to make a point. the basic facts that we would have to pay to walk on our pier, that all the attractions can be there without a marina tacked on and that the car park essential for the marina with its 2 lane road would spoil it for everyone else are clear for everyone to see.

My optimism in November was proved wrong - since then the rebuild group have contacted the press, met Sir Roger Gale, sent articles and statements that none of the trustees have seen to numerous magazines without any checking with the Trust. They have become a pressure group to push forwards the views they have held before they resigned as trustees over a year ago.

It has now come to my notice that a draft of the 2011 Gifford report, a much more detailed and intensive report, which neither the then chairman or most of the trustees ever saw is very clear that a marina at the pier head was not its recommended option. Gifford recommended a marina much nearer shore with 8hr access. It also pointed out that as the windfarms had invested so much money in Ramsgate facilities that probably only 1 or 2 O&M vessels at most would use Herne Bay as a base.

If those who are supporting a marina at the end of the pier take over the Trust our chances of building a long pier for the people of Herne Bay will be squashed. all the trustees are working many hours a week because we are committed to a long pier but we believe it should be the type of pier the people of HB also want. We are going to open out the debate to all the creative people in HB to come together in an exhibition of their concepts and designs for everyone in the town to view and choose preferences.

Incidentally, I sent the rebuild group our list of reservations the week before the press release was written and before we wrote the letter to members. Liz on the Times will conform that after Jason phoned me I told her I would hold back for a week. However, the time has come for more than the usual vocal minority to have their say.

Pier Trust Rebuild Group put their case

Graham Cooper (formerly an HBPT Trustee, currently part of the Rebuild Group) posted this on the "official" Pier Trust Facebook site:

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Dear All,

Many of you will have no doubt seen the reports in the papers this week. Sadly the rebuild group were not asked for any comment or given the opportunity to repond by the Times. Here is a copy of a letter we sent to the Gazette, when they did ask us for comment.

The volunteers on the rebuild group are shocked to discover that the Trustees had already decided as early as February 2012 that their preferred option was a gradual rebuild and not the pier/marina proposal. Neither we nor the membership have been informed of this, even at the November AGM. We are also very disappointed at the rather sensationalist headlines in last week's HB Times and more recently the rather confused and unclear letter sent to pier trust members this week, both of which state a number of assumptions and figures which are taken out of context and both of which conveniently leave out the projected £18million injection into the local economy that would result from the pier/marina.

We have offered on a number of occasions to respond to any trustees queries in order to clarify what the report is saying. The Trustees have had the report since last November! However before we had a chance to respond to the concerns expressed by the Chair of the Trust, she has informed us that she will not communicate any further with us until she has sent a letter to members and presumably got their feed- back.

We are very concerned that last week's story and the Trust Chair's recent letter to members are giving a very one sided view of things and as a we are effectively unable to communicate our response to members in any other way, in the next week or so we will be publishing an open letter, providing a fuller response to concerns raised.

But for now, it is important to convey a few key messages to members and the public alike. Firstly, the Collier report is intended to offer a workable solution for a rebuilt pier and to demonstrate business viability. It is designed as a conceptual report and certainly not definitive in any particular detail. The report does offer an excellent insight into what is feasible and we should remember that Collier are one of the top three property and destinations experts in the world, that is why we hired them.

Secondly, we are puzzled as to the motive and timing behind these recent stories and the Chair's letter to members and refusal to communicate further with the rebuild team. This all certainly flies in the face of Doreen Stone's comments of the Trust's Facebook page last November:

"the Trust's Board is more stable at this time than it has been for a long time with ex-trustees and current trustees working together on options for the future of the pier. Two weeks ago we had a very friendly and useful meeting with John Gilbey, Leader of Canterbury City Council, who remarked on the unity of our team. There is a great deal of hard work and cooperation going on at present".

As far as we can see the only thing that has changed since last November is the excellent publicity and supporters that the pier/marina idea has attracted, why this should present the Trust with a problem we fail to understand.

Pier Trust Chair criticises Pier Trust Rebuild Group

This email went to HB Pier Trust members on 29th Jan:

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Yours Views are Urgently Sort

Dear Member

This email is crucial to the future direction of the Herne Bay Pier Trust. I earnestly ask you to respond, however briefly. For too long the feedback to trustees has come from a vocal minority and now we are seeking the views of the silent majority of members.
 
You may have seen on the front page of the HB Times last week the headline “£7.50 a day!” The article outlined the contents of the Collier Report which the Trust commissioned reluctantly because we were committed to it by the decisions of previous trustees. However, the article was right in many points. I feel the time has come for trustees other than the rebuild group to speak out.
 
A  project as massive as a long pier needs a considerable period of discussion and consultation before any decisions are fixed however fast the rebuild group are pressing forwards a marina project. Since reading the report carefully, several trustees, including myself, have serious reservations about the marina being tacked onto the long pier to which every trustee is committed. The long pier is the reason most of us joined the Trust and we certainly never envisaged people paying to walk onto their pier.
 
As a charitable Trust, we have a duty to act responsibly - first in the interest of the members, yourselves, and secondly in the interests of Herne Bay. The majority of trustees do not believe pursuing a marina pier is in those best interests. A Herne Bay Marina somewhere else would be brilliant we would fully support a group set up for this purpose.
 
We have appended belowere, undoctored, a summary of the facts and figures, which appear in the Collier Report to support the marina pier, for you to read and judge for yourselves.

Our reservations are as follows:

1. The idea that 175,000 visitors will pay £7.50 and 30,000 residents paying £30 annually to walk on their own pier is unrealistic and it goes completely against the concept of a pier for the residents of Herne Bay.  The profit from those projected entry fees, even after concessions, amount  to £3.8million  -  three times the profits projected for the marina (£1.1million) . I always imagined we would build  a free People’s Pier where residents can enjoy the sea views, have a coffee, read a paper, walk a dog, etc.  The cost proposed would make this the dearest pier in UK. (Southend £3.50, Cleveland £1.50) and the projected visitors are twice the number for Southend. 
    
2. A car park at the pier head said to be “critical” to the success of the marina”(estimated at 200 cars a day @ £10) would completely change the ethos of a promenade type pier. There are no costings in the report for the two-lane road which would have to be built up the pier to reach the car park. 
    
3. The potential fire hazard of fuelling ((fuelling profits in the report are projected at £45K a year) and 200 cars a mile out to sea is horrendous. Piers and fire have a horrible habit of being associated. 
    
4. The report implies that the long pier is not viable without a marina. This cannot be so. We agree the long pier should have something spectacular to bring visitors into the town. A sea-centre with viewing tunnels has been just one suggestion. The report contains many useful facts about other attractions and funding sources we can consider and there are many creative people in HB with the imagination to come forward with alternative unique selling points for a long pier. We should like to tap into their ideas and hold an exhibition and debate in the summer into the ideas people like. This should be exciting and fun for all Herne Bay to be involved in. 
    
5. When the Trust’s long pier aspirations were entrusted by the Board to a specific  trustee to form a rebuild team but always under the authority of the Board. But, since the AGM, the rebuild group which includes ex-trustees has become, in my opinion, a pressure group well working outside the remit of the Pier Trust Board – publishing articles in magazines we do not see, representing the Trust in the press, meeting Sir Roger Gale to discuss the marina project without our knowledge, commissioning stunning artists’ impressions which have appeared in the press and on the web. We need our members to know that the rebuild group and its marina project website, no longer reflect the views of the Herne Bay Pier Trust Board.
    
6. In February 2012, the Board voted to support a gradual rebuild approach to the long pier – first establishing the short pier as a vibrant place and then finding funding to build on promenade and second platform and so on, each stage supporting the funding of the next.  Ideas for attractions such a sea-world centre with viewing bays, retro rides, restaurants, cafes, retail outlets for quality goods, entertainment platforms and function areas for weddings and performance were put forward.

Your mandate is now vital to us as a Board.  Please take a little time to read through the attached set of facts and figures supporting the marina project. Then could you please email us back your views by the 28th February 2013.  
 
1. Do you wish us to develop in stages a free pier without a marina on the end - with attractions chosen in consultation with the members and the people of HB?
 
2. Do you give the Board (with me in the chair) your mandate to take firm control of  the Trust’s rebuild group?

Doreen Stone
Chairman

Summary of facts and figures in the Collier Report 
 
The project has two key concepts :
Marina and Visitor attractions
with two hubs: The Pier Piazza and the Sea Pavilion
 
The estimated annual income comes from 3 sources: Marina, Visitors and Rents
 
Costs of project :

1. Collier figures based on the Gifford Report

 
                                                                         Infrastructure   : £32.0m
                                                                         Marina             : £2.9m
                                                                         Project fees     : £3.2m
                                                                         Additional        : £1.0m
                                                                 Total for structure : £40.1million
 
This does not include a 2 lane vehicle access to parking for 200 cars at the marina - regarded as “critical” to the success of the marina by the Report
This does not include boat lifting for winter – also regarded as essential
 
2. Additional Costs from Collier                        Hotels             : £4.3
                                                                         Aquarium        : £3.8
                                                                         Restaurants    : £1.8
                                                                         Cinema           : £3.1 
                                                              Total for Pier Piazza: £13.3million
                                                                           Hotel/spa       : £6.3m
                                                                           Casino           : £1.3m
                                                                           Marina           : £0.4
                                                                           Boutiques      : £1.3
                                                       Total for Sea Pavilion      : £9.2 million
                                                                           Kiosks            :  £0.1m
                                                                           Water sports  : £0.4m
                                                                           Boat tours      : £0
                                                                           Cycle hire       : £0
                                                                           Play park        :  £0.3m
                                                                           Ticket offices  : £0.2.m
                                                                           Function pav  : £1.0m
                                                                           Other              : £1.0m
                                                 Total for Rented property      : £3.0million
 
Therefore total estimated costs = £66 million plus cost of 2-lane road, marina car park and boat lifting facility for winter. 
 
Annual Profits
3 sources profits : Marina, Visitors and Rents

1. Marina

 
i) Annual berths
Projected annual charge : £300 per metre per boat (based on average 10 metre boat) cp Ramsgate £205, Gillingham £149 and Swale £148
 
275 annual berths at estimated likely 80% occupancy = 220 boats @ £3000 = £660,000                                       Total in Report : £528,000
 
ii) Visitors berths

estimated as 86 per day x 175 days  @ £15 per day
                                                                   Total in Report : £375, 000 

iii) Commercial berths                                Total income : £23,000
 
iv) Fuel sales                                                Total income :£ 45,000 

v) Landing charges
 estimated 99,000 annually @£2.0 ea                        Total :£ 165,000
 
                                                Total income from marina £ 1.1million
                                                                                         (to investors?)
 
2. Visitor Profits
 
i)Admission charges
Estimated 750,000 annual visitors @ £7.50 per adult Total : £4.5million
And  30,000 @ £30 annually                                       Total :  £0.8million
                                                     Total after concessions    : £3.8 million
 
 
ii) Other visitor profits
150 Functions @£2,500                                                   £0.4m
274 in playpark per day @ £5                                          £0.5m
Festival                                                                             £0.4m
Parking on marina – 200 per day @£10                           £0.6m
Fishing – 25 a day @£5                                                    £38,000
 
                                                                                        Total :  £2million
 
                                                         Total profits from visitors : £ 5.8million 

3. Annual Profits from Rentals

2 restaurants                                                   £4.3m
2 cinemas                                                       £16,250
1 casino                                                          £200,000
1 marina clubhouse                                        £60,000
10 boutiques                                                   £150,000
Kiosks                                                             £45,000
Watersports centre                                         £30,000
Boat ticket sales                                             £10,000
 
Hotels
Based on annual estimated turnover of:
120 budget rooms @£75 @68% occupancy = 81 rooms per night = £6075 per night          
70 rooms @£200 @ 62% occupancy = 43 rooms per night = £8600 per night
                                                       Total Rental profit : £810,000
Aquarium
Based on 200,000 visitors annually @£14 with concessions =annual turnover£1.6million 
                                                       Total Rent @ 12% = £196,000
 
Cycles – (100 day = £233,000 @rent 15% = profit in rental)
                                                           Total rent            £ 35,000
 
3 Adrenaline attractions 
(7,300 per year @£8 = £46,000)    Total rental @ 20% = £ 9,000
 
Gross profits summary

Profits

1. marina            £1.1million
2. rents               £2.1million
3. visitors            £5.6million

                                                                   Total £8.8 million
 
Costs

Annual Salaries £800,000
Overheads £250,000
Depreciations £130,000                    
                                                                 Total £1.1 million

                                  Total profits after costs £7.7million                        
 
Staffing and employment opportunities (estimates)

Piazza: 72 :   Sea Pavilion 76;    Marina 29;    Other 34;   Festival time 3

                                              Total : 214 full/ pt time

The Pier Trust does some explaining

A response to Shaney’s letter from Pier Trust Chairman, Doreen Stone (11th Jan 2013)

Shaney and I met up yesterday to discuss her open letter about CCC’s possible leasing of the pier platform and I think she does have a cause for grievance that a concession of this magnitude was not advertised for tenders. We agreed with her that although anyone has a right to put in for planning permission on a site whether they own it or not, the opportunity to lease the platform should have been opened to everyone.

As Chairman of the Pier Trust, I assured her that at no point had the Pier Trust been involved or consulted about Mr Cain putting in for planning permission to build a mini golf course there. None of the trustees knew anything about it until we were told in late November, nine days before the AGM by Dawn Hudd who made it clear to me that CCC were under no obligation to consult the Trust as the Memorandum of Understanding had lapsed on June 30th 2012. At this meeting, we were given a single page artist’s concept sketch (which was not in the public domain at that time) to discuss with the Board.

The trustees’ first reaction was disappointment that it would prevent us implementing our own plans for a café, a community stage and an income from concessions on the platform including roller skating, markets and a weddings’ venue. However, as I am sure David Shepherd, our then Events Manager would confirm for me, during the summer the Trust met with so many problems including Health and Safety, stewarding, submission forms specific to each event to be submitted three months before the date of the event – that we were never able to run the farmers’ and other markets, the art weekend, the performance and music events we had hoped to organise once the pier was ready for us in June.

Also, in our 2011 -2012 business plan, we had included concessions within our income calculations. However, although we returned detailed comments and our approval for at least 6 concessions, we were never given any feedback on CCC’s final choice of only 2 concessions and we certainly didn’t receive any income from them.

So, in the light of our awareness of how little we had been able to deliver on the platform in 2012, a majority of the Board began to see the reciprocal value of a well-run attraction on the platform to increase the footfall to our retail beach hut village we are still intending to build along the leg. Three trustees requested and met – all 6 were invited to attend - David Cain mid-December (after the AGM) to find out more about his proposal and whether he would involve the Trust if CCC decide to go ahead with his proposal. We were not aware that the leasing had not been advertised so that others like Shaney could also apply.

This was our position and how we came to it when I sent out the members’ Christmas Newsletter.

Christmas message from the Pier Trust

Good News for the future of the Pier

Three trustees of the HB Pier Trust attended the executive meeting of Canterbury City Council last Thursday and although they arrived smarting from the negative vibes in the press about an ultimatum to "shape up or ship out", they were pleasantly surprised by the positive attitude of the councillors at the meeting. Anyone wanting to hear what actually happened and what was said can listen to the recording of the executive meeting on the CCC website.

Repairs to the Existing Pier

The first item on the agenda relating to the pier was what actions should be taken about the poor condition of the wood in the substructure - not the planks you see when you walk on the pier but the wooden joists underneath them. The Pier Trust and CCC had already discussed this problem and it was mutually agreed that the Trust is not in a position financially to tackle repairs on this scale. This was a major reason for the Pier Trust preferring the management of the pier to remain at present with the council. Until it has established the hut village as a regular source of income, it knows it is not ready to take on management of the pier.

The 4 options to fund the urgently needed repairs ranged from a 2 year patch-up to a major overhaul and the good news for Herne Bay and the Pier Trust is that the executive unanimously voted for the best option which will cost in the region of £200,000. It will be carried out in stages with minimal disruption to the short term plans to progress activities on the pier.

That Report!

Dawn Hudd, the Culture Officer’s report was the next item about the future of the pier and it also contained 4 options: close the pier, hand over management to the Pier Trust, CCC to retain management, or a combination of the latter two options. Both the CCC and Pier Trust favoured this recommended option 4 – that the CCC retain control including maintenance costs until the Pier Trust is in a sufficiently strong financial position to take over management. This, especially in the light of this year’s huge maintenance bill, is seen as the only realistic option for us this year.

The executive councillors expressed very supportive comments about the current Pier Trust. They wished us well with the plans we are submitting for a beach hut village up the leg of the pier. The executive viewed the pier as an integral part of the regeneration plans for Herne Bay. Mr John Gilbey, Leader of CCC, said he had attended our AGM and assured us that CCC did not want to stand in the way of any sustainable ideas and only wanted what was right for Herne Bay and the Pier. We three trustees thought the comments at the meeting fair and positive.

The Adventure Golf on the Platform

Last week, we met with Mr Cain to discuss his plans for a crowd-pulling tourist attraction on the tarmac of the platform. The Trust is happy to work together with Mr Cain and the beach hut village and the Smugglers’ Adventure Golf will be mutually beneficial this year both bringing in tourists and locals. There will still be full access for walkers to enjoy the walks on the pier. Mr Cain will be investing a large amount in the pier and hopes to attract over 5000 visitors to the pier in August. Maybe next winter we shall see the pier lit up with lights and a Christmas Market complete with Santa on the pier.

Looking forward to 2013

Thank you for all your support this year. Don’t believe all you read in the press – we have come to realise that a good story built on a few disconnected comments is often a priority for journalists – we are learning, with difficulty, to take it as modern media speak.

A special thank you goes to our volunteers who have been standing in the cold this month outside supermarkets meeting members, collecting subs, manning the office and the Santa’s grotto in the bandstand and doing so much to keep us going. Their help is much appreciated by us. Thank you.

The Office in the Pier Gallery on Central Parade is now up and running and we are in the process of sorting out the administrative problems that we have suffered in the last year. Hopefully 2013 will be a good year all round for the Trust.

We are moving the Wine and Wisdom date from the 4th of January to a later date as general opinion indicates that was too near Christmas. We shall email you the new date as soon as possible. The bands event specifically aimed at the younger audience will take place at the King’s Hall on Feb 9th and tickets will be available at £5 each in the New Year – we shall email you with details then.

If any Member wishes to stand themselves or wishes to nominate another Member to stand for the role of trustee next year we are looking specifically for members with expertise in the following areas : legal experience, promotional expertise, financial and fund-raising (big fund-raising!) expertise.

Lastly but by no means least come down to the Bandstand at the weekend and find out more about the 2013 on the Pier. We together with other community organisations will be there between 11:00am and 4:00pm. Santa will also be there so bring the kids or grandkids and they will receive a free gift. All we ask is that you bring a few tins of food as a donation to the parcels that will be given to the less fortunate at Christmas.

Happy Christmas

Doreen Stone & Joe Howes - Joint Chairmen

News from the end of the Pier

Herne Bay Pier Trust Newsletter

Spring 2012

Hello members,

Well, we have had a lot of coverage about the future of the pier in the local press over the last few weeks – some of it correct and some… rather misleading. So we thought our members would like to have the facts from the horse’s mouth.

As the editor of this newsletter and a new Trustee elected last September, I have no political associations or any past history with the Pier Trust so I promise you that what appears below is an open and honest communication to our members of where the Pier Trust stands, what we are doing and why we have chosen this way forward.

A small group of ex-Trustees are currently expressing their disagreement with a majority vote by the Board that we should work in partnership with the Canterbury City Council – a decision made after much debate and consideration of the pro’s and cons. They may ask the Chairman in the near future to call an EGM because they are questioning the Articles of Association drawn up when the Pier Trust was first set up as a charity which includes two council appointed Trustees on the Board. We have invited the members concerned to discuss these issues informally with the Board but we have already had one decline.

This summer is an opportunity to fulfil our first mission statement “Reclaim the Pier for the People” and we can best do this working with the Council. If we succeed to manage the pier efficiently, we have no doubt that they will hand the pier over to us in 2013 for the Rebuild stage. If we are forced to call an EGM, at a time when we are so busy trying to show what we are capable of, we would value your support please.

We have included various appeals for help in this newsletter as we would also like as many members as possible to play a part in developing our pier and working towards a longer future,

Thank you,

Doreen Stone

Wine and Wisdom

Our first Wine and Wisdom will take place at the King’s Hall on April 20th at 7.00pm with one every month thereafter. The King’s Hall caterers will be providing food and soft drinks – please bring your own bottle of wine. We are seeking really good quality raffle prizes to surprise you. Peter war will be our question master. To book a seat or a table of 8, at £8 a head, ring 01227 374420

Where we stand in the Trust…..

The first thing to state is that all 11 Trustees want, as much as all the members, to see a long pier stretching out to sea where we can walk out across the sea, turn round and look back at our lovely and often under-rated traditional seaside town. That is the reason we all joined the Pier Trust and are expending much of our spare time on it.

However, the challenging task of rebuilding of the pier has to be tackled in phases. It is totally unrealistic not to recognise that rebuilding one of the longest piers is a massive challenge with many pitfalls. We have to plan, cost out and find funding for every phase thoroughly and raising enormous sums of money in difficult financial times is not going to be easy. To achieve our ultimate goal of a long pier, we shall need something in the region of £20million and £40 million if it includes a marina and traditional pavilion(s).

When we hopefully take over management of the existing pier in 2013, it will be because the Trust has proved this year to the current owners that it has fit managers who can raise an income of over £56,000 a year just to maintain and run it. Currently, CCC spends this sum just to keep the under structure in safe order. If we are able to achieve our business plan this year, we are confident that we shall be able to take over the pier and its next phase next year.

So, we really do need members’ support – both in practical and professional skills and in volunteering to help - to run the lively programme of events we have planned and raise enough annual income to show we are competent to run the pier by ourselves. Come and play a part in winning back the pier….

Members’ skills register

If you have particular skills such as catering, entertainment, management, stewarding, first aid, van transport, design, container gardening, sales, accounting, computing, decoration or if you can just spare a few hours to help us supervise the events ……. Please get in touch with our chairman, Julian Jennings on….. or write to him to The Pier Gallery, Central Parade. Let’s make the pier a community effort – please join us this summer. We promise not to overwork you or take liberties! We welcome help from all ages.

The Trust’s Business Plan

Three weeks ago, a group of Trustees, met with the specific officers and councillor who have been given the pier in their remit and we presented the Pier Trust’s 2012 Business Plan to them. The meeting, despite previous reservations on our side, went well and we came away with a positive feeling that a new type of partnership has begun. The new brooms at CCC are as keen as us that we succeed and will give us a lot of support, e.g. to facilitate planning permission, legal requirements, risk assessments, leasing terms, concessionary arrangements, as well as the current structural maintenance of the pier. That is why for this first summer, we have voted that this is the best way forward - working together with the Council.

The business plan has taken a lot of hard work fleshing out ideas, costings, income, funding, health and safety and feasibility. The two local councillors, Joe Howes and Andrew Cook, whose position as appointed Trustees has been the root of much opposition, have actually put hours of work, way beyond the call of duty, into supporting Trust decisions.

Incidentally, the so called criticism by CCC of the Trust’s plans made an interesting headline in the local press based purely on one word in an executive report amid many other positive ones. The CCC officer chairing the meeting told us she had not even been contacted by the reporter and had made not a single critical statement.

A Brief Summary of the Business Plan

Phase 1:

Once the pavilion has disappeared within the next two weeks, we need CCC to have a good quality multi-purpose surface put down. Until the demolition is complete, we are not allowed to go onto the pier to see what we will be left to work with. The Council have promised to make good the surface and work with us on preparing the pier for public safety. It may be that the varying floor levels left by the pavilion will prove useful as the basis for seating around the arena. We shall see in the latter half of April.

To meet the public preference for a traditional pier (see our survey results) we are hoping to add some attractive touches – rows of flags with solar uplighters, planters with the kind of plants Herne Bay in Bloom Society consider will stand up to the sea air, bunting made by the Herne Bay High Schoolchildren, a sun deck and café which so many residents requested as a must in the surveys. A recent TV advertisement for Homebase which featured a pier is an inspiration for ours.

The designs and events we are planning have all been based on the results of our public consultation exercises culminating in our stand at the Business Fair mentioned above. We have been very conscious that it is the pier belongs to the people of Herne Bay and we need to follow the peoples’ mandate……

Finding out what the people want on their future pier

The Trust has received the Herne Bay residents’ views and aspirations from a variety of sources –

• the survey printed by the Herne Bay Times in November,
• the same survey returned via the Herne by Trust website, and still coming into the Pier Gallery
• all the people we met at the Christmas Grotto ( we had 3000 visitors - Santa gave 650 presents to children)
• Trustees talking to local groups

The results show the following preferences of local people:

Results of surveys

• You would like a traditional pier with children’s rides, retro amusements, a big wheel or a helter-skelter, a sun deck and café, ice cream, sweets and sea-food stalls, child/parent telescopes and boat trips.
• The most popular activities or events you would like to see – farmers’ market, musical performances, film, roller-skating again, fishing, exhibitions, antiques market, dancing and bands
• Many good suggestions included a sea world centre, an eco information centre, an underwater viewing facility.
• Many wanted to see boat trips back again, angling from the pier, quality retail beach huts, sporting activities.

Therefore, on the strength of your replies,

During the summer, supported by CCC we are planning a series of events and activities.

• A film on the pier on a large screen in July – with dancing demos, music, refreshments
• A series of sports weekends in July and August for youngsters with demos and training from top professional footballers, cricketers and more
• A farmers’ market (s) – a very popular request
• A Spirit of the Sea music event in August – bands competitions and gigs to coincide with the Herne Bay Festival
• Maybe also an antiques market
• Concessionary roller-skating days during the holidays
• Concessionary sales tables of refreshments, traditional sweets and candy floss

Wine and Wisdoms

We are raising funds and will be running Wine and Wisdoms to cover each event. The first Wine and Wisdom will take place at the King’s Hall on April 20th at 7.00pm with one every month thereafter. To book a seat or a table of 8, at £8 a head, ring 01227 374420

The Beach Hut Village

During this year, the Trust will be applying for planning permission to build a row of traditionally decorated seaside beach hut sales booths. The income from these – maybe up to 14 of them – will bring in useful funds. Similarly concessions to selected traders running the café, ice-cream and sweets stands, candy floss, pancake and shell-fish stalls will also bring in funds.

If you are interested in renting a hut next year or applying for a concession to provide refreshments, please contact us. Either write to the Chairman, Julian Jennings, at the Pier Gallery, Central Parade. or email us via this website.

All of these plans will be a steep learning curve. The Trustees have already met the Fire Service for advice, consulted our insurance company, started to cover legal requirements such as necessary risk assessment and health and safety issues. We are also sourcing free training courses in crowd management, stewarding and first aid skills.

Again if you are trained in any of these skills please contact us. Your skills will be most welcome.

Also, if you have personal contact with any company who might be willing to sponsor an event or a flag, please let us know. All sponsors will be acknowledged – major sponsors will have a permanent plaque on the pier. Maybe you know a celebrity who would help us with publicity for the charity or open one of the events.

Phase 2 :

Looking further ahead, beyond 2012 – the Trust envisages gradually building on the pier– lengthening it seawards section by section. The diagrams you may have se en in the papers were early concepts presented to us by Trust member, David Parish. The idea was to have two covered all-weather areas – one for children’s activities and the other as an all-weather multi-purpose area for all year round skating, performance and exhibitions – and maybe weddings! These covered areas would lengthen the season for pier activities into the winter months. The further we go out, the better the fishing too! This stage will be open to much further public consultation.

Fishing permits, weddings, performances, exhibitions, markets would bring in further much needed income for building further out to sea.

For Phase 2, the Trustees are exploring many sources of funding – government, local, European, Lottery, private, corporate. The search is definitely on! All information is welcome to add to our trawl for big money.

Phase 3: The Long Pier

The Trust and CCC have already paid £19,000 for a long-term report on the feasibility of a long pier and/or marina and has committed a further £8,000 through sponsorship for a professional economic study on the options outlined by the first report and its economic impact on the town.

Despite the Trustees working on the short-term phase and 2012 events, a dedicated Rebuild team of Trustees are concurrently committed to overseeing the rebuild of the long pier.

How we organise ourselves

As well as these two sub-groups of Trustees, each of the 2012 events listed above has a lead Trustee working with his/her team on each event. We now have a very well structured organisation. Anyone who has time and would like to join any of the teams working on one of the events listed above will be most welcome – we need all the help we can get.

What else have we been doing?

Santa’s Grotto

Thank you for your support of Santa’s Grotto which was open for three weekends up to Christmas Eve in the bandstand. We had 650 children queuing under the snow from the snow machine to receive their present from Santa. We had children’s entertainers there and the face-painting went down well. It was a good opportunity for the trustees to meet the members and discuss the plans.

During the school days we had hundreds of schoolchildren singing during the lunchtimes and in the evenings Trustee David Shepherd organised a variety of quality musical events. Over the three weeks we had over 3000 visitors.

The Schools’ Art Project

Sponsored by Southern water and KCC, Sue Austen and Lynn Faux-Bowyer ran a massive project which involved five local primary schools. They arranged art workshops with an artist and the children produced hundreds of lively, imaginative and beautiful paintings on the themes of the seaside, the pier and sea creatures.

Herne Bay High pupils expressed their feelings for the seaside and the pier through dozens of imaginative sculptures. The project culminated in an exhibition in the Pier gallery and the new art gallery at the King’s Hall judged by Southern water, a local artist and MP Roger Gale. Prize-giving took place on 23rd of March. The project enabled us to meet and gather views from children, parents and teachers about the future of the pier.

The Pier Gallery

The Pier Gallery has become a hub for information and fund-raising. Friendly volunteer staff will make you welcome at weekends and there is always a lively exhibition of paintings and art on show. The latest exhibition is …..(Andrea to flesh out please)

Going Green

The Trust has raised a significant amount of funds through its recycling can campaign. The can collection points will be augmented by a paper-recycling collection point. New can bins are being placed in the Memorial Park near the toilets.

Pier Trust reveals extension plans

Campaigners have unveiled plans to extend the pier and build a new pavilion. Members of Herne Bay Pier Trust revealed details of the scheme – the brainchild of graphic designer Dave Parish – ahead of a crucial council meeting to debate the pier's future after council officers claimed the lack of a clear plan for the site meant that "difficult decisions" would have to be made.

In a six-page report due to be discussed by the council's ruling executive on 2nd Feb, council officer Dawn Hudd raised a number of issues. She said:

"Communications with the trust have been contradictory and we are now at a point where difficult decisions need to be made about any programme of activity this year. A clear understanding needs to be obtained of any planning limitations for the site. Given the Pier Trust's lack of experience and its own admission about its capacity… significant input from council officers will be required."

But pier bosses hit back, and said they were reviewing several options, including a row of beach hut-type stalls, a cafe, a local-information stall and an area for angling. They hope to attract private funding for their plans. Spokeswoman Doreen Stone said:

"We have been working hard for the future of the pier through our two appointed councillor trustees, Andrew Cook and Joe Howes. The trust sent its business plan to the council before Christmas. We have agreed to present a final business plan in mid February. On the main platform, we have suggested a multi-purpose floor, which could be used for skating, musical events, comedy, dancing and live performances. A local designer has presented rough drafts of two domes to cover the activity areas and the trust is currently planning several events this summer."

Council officials have warned any events need to be planned urgently, as most will need a premises licence, which takes 56 days. Health and safety issues, planning limitations and how to get power and water to the pier platform also need to be considered.

Councillors will be told tonight that they have four options, including leaving the site empty and closed off once the pavilion is demolished in about six weeks' time, keeping full control of the pier and putting activities in place, or keeping control of the pier platform but helping the Pier Trust and other organisations to organise events.

They were expected to choose the last option, and request an additional £40,600 from Canterbury City Council on top of their current budget for the pier of £75,000. The increased budget will include £18,000 for insurance, £10,000 for gates, £5,000 for a tide gauge and £10,300 for navigation lights, as well as £20,000 contingency money.

Heron councillor Andrew Cook told the Times:

"The council and the Pier Trust are working very closely to ensure activities are put in place. We will be presenting those at the King's Hall business and community exhibition on March 21. Local designer David Parish has presented us with a exciting model of a Victorian building with modern elements as a possible cover for the pier platform, which is quite exposed.

We are looking at the feasibility and finances of putting something like this in place; if not this summer, then during phase two, possibly over a platform doubled in length. Realistically, the pier platform is likely to open for its first event to coincide with the Queen's Jubilee."

HB Times 3rd Feb 2012