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 still has some explaining to do...

One local business owner has some strong opinions and a lot to say about the handling of the "mini golf on the Pier" shambles. Read it carefully, then act.

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Dear Pier Trust Members and Herne Bay Residents,

My family and I have lived and worked in Herne Bay since 1953. We have been members of the Pier Trust for quite some time and we are all avid supporters of Herne Bay and the Pier Trust's aims to reclaim, regenerate and rebuild the Pier for the benefit of the whole of the Community.

It has come to my attention that recent plans for the development of the Pier, proposed by David Cain, are in direct contradiction to the original functions of the Trust and, therefore, arguably harmful to the town as a whole. I have been over the "Memorandum of Association" put forward by the Trust on their website. In this document, the "Objects" of the Trust are outlined as:

3.1 The preservation, renovation, reconstruction and enhancement of Herne Bay and the surrounding areas…

3.2 The promotion and use of the Pier for recreational purposes and as a community and heritage building for the general use and benefit of all inhabitants of, and visitors to, the town of Herne Bay and surrounding areas.

I next examined the "Powers" of the Trust and the first piece of information available was that these powers, "may only be exercised in promoting the objects as quoted above." The plans put forward by Cain's Amusements date back to April 2012, and multiple members of the trust, myself included, have only recently learned of this mini golf proposal. The fact that Trust members have not been made aware of these plans, directly contradicts the "objects" of the Trust and the way it is supposed to be run. If Trust members are not made aware of future plans for the Pier, how can it claim to be run for "the benefit of all inhabitants"? This breach of the Trust's constitution is morally unbecoming of the organization and detrimental to the Trust's success.

One of the main areas that I don't believe is working is the relationship between the Pier Trust and Canterbury City Council. This relationship is dictated in The Pier Trust's "Memorandum of Understanding" with Canterbury City Council, a document also available on the website. This document also features many broken promises, made between the Council and the Trust. It reads:

"The Trust will be treated by the City Council as the principle trustee within the town in relation to Pier matters. The City Council will actively consult with the Pier Trust on all aspects of the future of the Pier, including the Pier Pavilion building, the Pier head, the maintenance of the Pier structure and any proposals for the future use or development of the Pier.

The Trust and City Council will respect each other's views and will work together in the interests of the Pier and the town generally."

This agreement put forward in 2008 has been compromised. It's a very frustrating read. I cannot see how the Trust and the Council can "respect each other's views" if those views, and in this case, plans, are not revealed to Trust members. Dawn Hudd of Canterbury City Council has consulted directly on and has carried out a site visit to advise on the mini golf planning application. The date on those plans are April 2012. This suggests the council were in full knowledge of these plans but failed to share the information with the trust or its members while the "Memorandum of Understanding" was still in force.

I personally, have been in email contact with Dawn Hudd of CCC since May 2012 as I was one of 2 concessions granted on the Pier last summer and wanted to keep abreast of any plans for the Pier for the following year. Even though I asked directly by email, on 2nd October and 21st November 2012, if there were any plans, I was not told anything other than that a report would be going to Executive on Dec 13th. There has been no mention of this planning proposal to me or of the councils desire to "off load" the Pier to a mini golf operator or any other long term sole operator.

We all attended the HBPT AGM on 27th Nov 2012, which I'm sure you will all agree did not go as intended, no plans for the mini golf were mentioned there either. The trust put forward a short term plan for a Beach Hut Village which would be in place until the long term Marina Plan was developed and was ready to go ahead.

The first time the mini golf planning application was mentioned to members in an official capacity was in the Christmas newsletter, emailed to members on 20/12/12. In this newsletter under the title "The Adventure Golf on the Platform" the Trust talks of a "crowd pulling" attraction that the trust is happy to collaborate with. This statement was made without consulting with any Trust Members and certainly not with the only trust member who currently runs a mini golf and has in fact held a fund raising day on the mini golf for the benefit of the trust. Was this statement made by the co-chair, who also happens to be a councillor, who also happens to be on the Executive Committee that decided to keep the running of the Pier away from the Trust and in the councils control on 13th Dec 2012? This was 7 days after the planning application went in and was based on a report, criticizing the ability of the trust to run the Pier and recommending the council reclaim control, written by… Dawn Hudd.

I am not aware that the views of the Pier's close neighbours were sought. Our business has received no correspondence on the matter and even if the rules make no obligations for our views to be solicited, common courtesy dictates that they should have been sought or that we should, at the very least, have been informed.

I also can find only one notification in the local papers 13-12-2012.

Many of the declared goals of the Trust would no longer be possible were this planning application to be granted, such as :-

1. To create a community space to host a wide variety of events which could be enjoyed by the whole community and in which they can participate.

2. To rebuild a Pier that would ensure that Herne Bay would return to its former prominence as a desirable seaside destination in its own right.

I want to know why these plans seem to have gone so far without official consultation with any Pier Trust members? Why there have been no official or public consultation meetings with the people of Herne Bay, either by the council or the Trust. Also mentioned in the newsletter is Mr. John Gilbey's comment that the CCC "did not want to stand in the way of any sustainable ideas and only wanted what was right for the Pier". This comment seems unfounded as the Council had already met with David Cain and pre plans for the mini golf have already got underway with no consultation or approval from the Trust. If this project goes ahead the rebuilding of the pier prospect will be dead in the water. No investor would consider a project that would be hindered by a 10 year single leaseholder.

This is another issue in contention, the leasing of the Pier and the length thereof. I believe the Trust agreed the Council should not market the Pier as a long term commercial opportunity. The lease options that were suggested between the 2 parties were leases of only 1-2 years. I reiterate, any lease of such a length currently being proposed, would stop any rebuild prospects from proceeding in any way.

The Council is dismissing the Pier Trust and the Pier itself as a liability that they seek to get rid of at the first and easiest opportunity with no thought or consideration for what the people of Herne Bay want or what is best for the town's future, from attracting new residents, to tourism, to attracting new businesses which would all go to vitally boost our local economy.

Many trustees, who freely give up their own time, have left, due to frustration and disillusion with regard to the Council's interference, lack of support and manipulation of the Trust. I have personally experienced the council telling me the lack of progress was wholly the fault of the Trust. This obviously has a negative and demotivating impact on the Trustee's who try to follow the ethos of the Trust's constitution, for the good of the town as a whole and not just what the council wants. These enthusiasts "giving up" impacts on the efficiency of the Trust and its ability to achieve its goals.

This is not merely my opinion as it appears to be shared by virtually all of the local people and businesses that we have canvassed.

Whether you agree with my opinion or not, I urge Pier Members, Herne Bay residents and anyone who cares about the future of the Pier and Herne Bay alike to please register your opinion by writing or emailing the Pier Trust at: piertrust.office@talktalk.net also Mr Steve Musk, Development Control, Canterbury City Council, Military Road, Canterbury, CT1 1YW or by emailing development.management@canterbury.gov.uk

Please quote Planning Application Number CA//12/02132.

Any objections to the planning application must be in by 14th January 2013.

Please feel free to contact me by email to: shaneypashley@sasamusements.co.uk

Piratical display lights up the pier

People power – and a pinch of piracy – is behind a festive lights display erected more than a kilometre out to sea. A Christmas tree of light, made from around 1,000 lights, appeared on the stranded head of Herne Bay pier just before Christmas.

Pier Pirates claimed responsibility for the seasonal display and said the lights were a symbol of the town's future. A spokesman said:

"Ahoy! Me 'n' me hearties have put these lights up as a symbol of the unity that Herne Bay needs to display to overpower the tyranny of our current rulers. We believe that this be necessary to get our fair share of the treasure includin' gettin' the pier rebuilt to its original length smartly. There be many lubbers 'bout who have chosen to ignore the hopes 'n' aspirations 'n' determination of the people."

He said the project was inspired by the volunteer groups working to improve the town, including the Bay Promo Team, Beach Creative and the Kent Pier Marina Team from the Herne Bay Pier Trust as well as the people of Herne Bay themselves. He added:

"The town Christmas tree lights was voted the worst in the land 'n' news spread far and wide. Me and me hearties thought we should step in and gift the town the best offshore Christmas tree lights in the UK. All ye pirates mucked in and helped, including local suppliers."

Partygoers at the BayPromoTeam's Christmas ball were impressed by the lights and a spokesman said:

"They look fantastic and everyone was saying how impressive they were. We can only sum them up as a festive delight."

Jason Hollingsworth, of the Kent Pier Marina Team, which is working on plans for a marina around the old pier head, added:

"I think this shows that the people of Herne Bay are proud of their town and are willing to get involved in the Government's Big Society. This is truly a beacon of hope for the future of the town and for the pier. I think the sense of community is at an all-time high and this shows beyond reasonable doubt that Herne Bay is powered by its people."

HB Times 4th Jan 2013

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

Christmas Fair at the Bandstand

Beach Creative, Herne Bay In Bloom, and Herne Bay Pier Trust have all got together to bring you a fantastic Xmas fair, starting this Saturday 15th December from 11am, at Herne Bay Bandstand.

It’s a chance for the residents and visitors of Herne Bay to do something positive this Christmas and enjoy the festive atmosphere too.

Bring the kids along to see Santa in his grotto and they’ll receive a FREE gift! All that is asked is a small donation of tinned/non perishable food that can be put towards making a number of small Xmas hampers for the less fortunate in the area.

Herne Bay Pier Trust reveal plans for country's first pier marina

This is how Herne Bay's Victorian pier could look if a £70 million plan to build a marina around the derelict old pier head goes ahead. The ambitious scheme was unveiled last night by the Herne Bay Pier Trust and would be the first of its kind in the country.

Members also announced a raft of short-term plans, which include creating a beach hut village and restaurant on the existing platform and to allow weddings on the pier.

Trust member Jason Hollingsworth, part of the group tasked with finding ways to rebuild the pier, said the key was to make it financially viable. He said:

"A heritage pier based on the past would be a lovely idea but when you look at the economics, it is not going to happen."

But he said the team had been speaking about the marina concept - known as Kent Pier Marina - to trust fund managers who wanted long-term investments for pension funds.

He said it would be an "attraction of national significance" and could include hotels, an aquarium, conference facilities and boat trips. Mr Hollingsworth said:

"I am convinced the project can be delivered and bring extensive benefits to Herne Bay and the wider area. There are investment opportunities for a private sector developer but the scheme will also need public sector funding."

The marina would have 275 berths and, because it would be so far out to sea, offer 24-hour berthing for sailors because it would not be affected by tides. A road would run along the pier with parking for 150 cars at the end.

The marina was given the official stamp of approval in a consultant's report which concluded it was the best option for the long-term future of the pier. The trust plans to publish the report and more details of the scheme on a website to be launched next month and will then begin formal public consultation.

More trustees are needed, particularly those with expertise in law and fundraising. Those interested should send details to the Pier Trust gallery in Central Parade, Herne Bay.

thisiskent LCrudgington

Future Pier design?

Bay's renewal plan is 'second best in Europe'

I'm intrigued by this award. I've asked the Strasbourg judges for a copy of the prize-winning bid, but they said they weren't allowed to release it. So I've asked Mr Rynne of CCC for a copy - I'll share it with you when I get it.

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Herne Bay's plans for regeneration are the second best in Europe, according to a European poll. Judges in Strasbourg voted the town's efforts into second place in the Council of Europe's Best Practice Awards for Coastal Towns. City council executive member for Herne Bay regeneration Councillor Peter Lee said:

"We've beaten off some strong opposition, both in this country and across Europe. That says a lot about the hard work and commitment shown by the council and residents to improve the town we all love. We are obviously very pleased to receive this recognition and look forward to building on all this good work in the coming years."

He made the announcement at a meeting of the full council on Thursday. The bid included the new Bay Sports Arena and extended Herons Leisure Centre, improvements to the Memorial Park, plans for a Coastal Park as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations, the exciting future for the town’s pier and the effectiveness of the Herne Bay Area Action Plan.

Jurors said they had been "impressed by the quality and innovative spirit of the council's Herne Bay regeneration project, as an encouraging practice for the regeneration of coastal towns."

Friends of Memorial Park, the Herne Bay in Bloom committee and Herne Bay Town Partners were cited as examples of strong community co-operation. Judges also took into account plans for a Diamond Jubilee coastal park. Top prize was won by the Ukrainian seaside resort of Yevpatoria.

This is Kent Friday, May 04, 2012

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.

Our Council must support the Pier Trust

An open letter to CCC from the Pier Trust's ex-Treasurer Jason Hollingsworth and ex-Chairman Graham Cooper:

In light of all the recent Council criticism of the Pier Trust in the press, as past Trustees we feel compelled to respond and set the record straight.

Firstly and perhaps rather tellingly, our first observation is astonishment that CCC should level any criticism at the Trust at all, after all the Pier Trust is a community organisation and if the council considers there are deficiencies why has CCC not done the right thing and wholeheartedly got behind the Trust and to support it and help to rectify those supposed failings.

After all, CCC does have two council appointed Trustees on the board! Perhaps this would have been a more constructive approach and a far better one, than simply to sitting back and sniping. Indeed, looking back to the last Pier Trust Annual General Meeting, as we recall, one of the councillor Trustees presented the assembled members with all the plans he envisaged for use of the pier in 2012. What has happened to them? Perhaps that is where any criticism should be directed.

Since its inception, the Trust has continued to attract very committed, high calibre individuals to help and advise it. Many of the Trustees regularly put in hundreds of hours per year unpaid to work solely for a better future for Herne Bay and should be lauded for doing so.

The Trust has produced several sound ideas and organised numerous successful events, Party on the Pier – a huge all day event that offered free roller skating and entertainment for the whole of Herne Bay, the Christmas Grotto, events at the Herne Bay Festival and the Herne Bay schools arts project to name but a few, all of which happened with little or no assistance from CCC.

Throughout 2011 the Trust participated in a joint working group with CCC and from our experience the key difficulty was getting clear and consistent answers from the council as to their plans, ideas and funding. If any criticism is to be levelled at the Trust, it can surely only be lack of resource. The problem has never been lack of experience or commitment.

In our view, the Trust has never been effectively or adequately supported by the Council. Indeed that is at the core of why so many Trustees have stood down in the past few years. This is in stark contract to Hastings, where with the full support and help of the local council, the Trust has been able to obtain considerable funding to produce its long term business plan.

To truly deliver on the expectations of the Trust’s members and the Town as a whole, full and effective support from the Council is essential. We know that the Trust has done all it can to move things forward in a constructive and professional manner.

Perhaps the Council now needs to do its part by addressing the confused relationship between the Trust and the Council and replacing it with an open, honest and effective partnership agreement with clear responsibilities and objectives for all concerned. We truly hope that this will be forthcoming as without it the Pier Trust’s objectives both short and long term will be completely unachievable.

Jason Hollingsworth

Graham Cooper

Can cash will boost the pier

Campaigners have come up with a canny way to raise cash for Herne Bay pier. Trustees hoping to see the pier revamped and rebuilt have set up special bins to recycle cans and could earn up to £600 per tonne of other peoples' rubbish.

The bins have been positioned at the entrance to the pier, with more to come throughout the town, and the scheme was officially launched on Monday by members of the Herne Bay Pier Trust. Spokesman Andy Newell said:

"It could raise a lot of money for us and it's good for the town as well. It will improve the environment and keep the town clear of cans. It should also save room in recycling sacks because people will only need to put paper, card and plastic in if they bring their cans to us."

Mr Newell and other supporters are hoping to get town pubs, cafes, restaurants and supermarkets involved. He thanked council officials, including David Williamson from Serco and town manager Chris West, for their support, adding:

"They have been instrumental in getting this concept off the ground."

The group is still hoping to attract more members to lobby for improvements at the pier. The sports centre is due to be demolished next year and officials will then consult on what should replace it. A public meeting to update supporters on progress at the pier will take place at 7.30pm on Monday, November 15 at the cafe on the pier.

This is Kent 29th Oct 2010

Memorial service for Herne Bay county councillor John Law

A memorial service to remember the life of county councillor John Law will be held next Saturday, August 30. The service will take place at All Saint's Church in Church Street, Whitstable at 2pm. John, who represented Herne Bay, died in hospital a week after suffering a stroke at his home in Alexander Road, Whitstable, on August 3.

His widow Jean, deputy leader of the city council, has asked that donations be made to the Herne Bay Pier Trust. Her husband was a founder member. Donations should be sent to the Herne Bay Pier Trust c/o Stephen Parry at Parry Law Solicitors, 12-14 Oxford Street, Whitstable.

This is Kent 19th Aug 2008