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Herne Bay, England, CT6
United Kingdom
Community website for all things Herne Bay (Kent, UK). Covers: The Downs, Herne Bay Museum, Herne Bay Historical Records Society, Herne Bay Pier Trust, Herne Bay in Bloom, East Cliff Neighbourhood Panel, No Night Flights, Manston Airport, Save Hillborough, Kitewood, WEA, Local Plan and much, much more...
Filtering by Category: Pier
The Council won't and the Pier Trust can't
Today's HB Gazette highlights the worsening state of the pierhead. Apparently it's outside the Pier Trust's remit, and the Council just watches from the shore to see if the lightbulbs need changing - their bare legal obligation.
If we do nothing, time and tide will take their toll, and we will have nothing but rust and memories.
Read MoreI'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.
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
Well, it's all kicking off over at the Pier Trust - name-calling, playground threats, hair-pulling, you name it.
Once upon a time, the Herne Bay Pier Trust had a nice little Facebook site which people would saunter over to from time to time, to find out what was new, and add their words of wisdom and encouragement.
How times change.
Reading between the lines as much as I dare, my guess is that our beloved Council has decided that the whole Pier Thing needs to be more tightly managed and controlled. Murmurs of unquiet, mutterings of discontent, and opinions that diverge from the Unquestionable Truth have all emerged in the local media recently, much to the annoyance of our Controllers.
The solution seems to have been to seek greater direct control, and to this end Cllr Cook (one of the nine or so Trustees, and one of the two councillors appointed by the Council) was annointed an Adminstrator on the Trust's Facebook site. And that's when things started to go awry.
Within the Herne Bay Pier Trust Facebook site, a new page was set up called, er, "Herne Bay Pier Trust". Hardly confusing at all. This new page, let's call it HBPT2, then started writing stuff, and replying and commenting, just as a real person would. One of the first messages gave a clear indication of what was to come:
"Facebook comunication is being Hi jacked by activists stick to being positive about the Pier please, and offer help dont just moan."
HBPT2 then went on over the next few days to speak as if it had the knowledge, authority and support of the Trustees, indeed it spoke as if it was the Pier Trust. Those who questioned the Unquestionable Truth were dubbed snipers, gripers, downers, and (gasp!) "activists". The identity of HBPT2 remains a closely guarded secret - HBPT2 has been asked to reveal itself, and has refused.
Anyway, it's Cllr Cook. I don't know if this was meant to be a light touch on the rudder to steer the Trust along the Council's preferred course, but he's managed to rile a lot of long-standing Pier supporters - do pop over to the Trust's Facebook site and have a look at the swirling confusion and anger he's left in his path.
So what's next? The ex-Trustees who invested hundreds of hours and thousands of pounds' worth of effort in the Trust will still be dismissed as grumbling malcontents. The Council will beam approvingly on those who toe the line unquestioningly. Criticism will be branded as negativism. Cheery, shallow words of encouragement will be plentiful - substantive commitment, support and promotion won't.
A lot of people will work bloody hard to make the most of what little we're being given to work with, and my heart swells with pride in anticipation of what we will probably achieve. But please don't forget - if our Council had shown the same commitment to Herne Bay as it has shown to Canterbury over the last five years, we would have our Pier by now.
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 results show the following preferences of local people:
Results of surveys
Therefore, on the strength of your replies,
During the summer, supported by CCC we are planning a series of events and activities.
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.
There was commerce, campaigners, councillors and charities crammed into Herne Bay's Kings Hall for the town's annual business expo exhibition. It was opened by the Lord Mayor of Canterbury Ian Thomas on Wednesday. The city council's senior projects manager, Patrick Rynne, who helped to arrange the event, said:
"There were 46 businesses and 22 projects represented in the hall, with more than 500 visitors at the exhibition. Herne Bay should feel justifiably proud of the interest the town is attracting. This really highlighted the success stories we are seeing."
Herne Bay Pier Trust unveiled a multicoloured model of an extended pier. The trust's deputy chairman, Andrea Leach, who works tirelessly to raise funds for the charity, said:
"We are very excited about the summer on the pier platform and have some good events lined up. It was great to see the public's enthusiasm."
Herne Bay Coastwatch members, who scour the seas from the Old Bathing Station at weekends, were among those scouting for volunteers. They need spare hands to man the station on Fridays as they prepare for the summer season.
But there were also awkward moments. Coplan Estates, which is managing the stalled Herne Bay Central Development regeneration plan, was placed opposite new group Beach Creative. Beach Creative is dedicated to turning Beach House into a thriving artists' colony after the building – earmarked for demolition under the Coplan scheme – was given a reprieve.
The developer's Colin McQueston admitted:
"Three months ago things looked like they were stuck but we are tweaking the proposal and are at last beginning to have some renewed interest."
The artists looked on politely, wondering whether their new home will survive the summer.
thisiskent 30th Mar 2012
Now this is interesting. Firstly Mr McMahan doesn't say where his figure of £750,000 comes from - is this what CCC have actually paid the contractors? - but I really like his idea that money generated from the demolition could have been re-invested in the Pier.
Secondly, the Council spokesman (Wormtongue, as I think of him) seems to be having trouble with numbers when he says "... it was discovered that the amount of asbestos in the building was understated and its removal was more problematic than first envisaged. The council has incurred no extra cost ...".
In June of last year, the local press reported that the cost of demolition was £243k more than the budgeted £425k because of the asbestos revealed by a structural survey. As Cllr Vickery-Jones said at the time:
This is a huge increase but there is no alternative.
Hmmm... "no extra cost" or "a huge increase" - which do you think best describes £243,000?
So our Council got a fixed price deal and handed over the value of all the scrap to the contractors, at a time when most metal prices seemed to be rising steadily (apparently due to demand for raw materials in China pushing up prices globally).
Are any of CCC's bean-counters going to figure out how much we lost out as a result? I doubt it. They won't bother to find out how costly this mistake was, and as a result will probably repeat it.
Pulling down Herne Bay's Pier Pavilion has cost tax-payers £750,000 and left the town with nothing in return, claims former city councillor Vince McMahan. He says a clause in the demolition contract means contractors have been allowed to strip the pier of valuable scrap metal and pocket the cash. The dad of three stormed:
"It beggars belief. It is a slap in the face to the people of Herne Bay that firstly the cost shot up to £668,000 because the council didn't realise there was so much asbestos there. And then the deal means the company can keep the scrap.
The whole building was clad in aluminium, which is worth a lot of money now. With scrap metal prices soaring, the council should have insisted the money was recycled to, say, the Pier Trust or ring-fenced for the town's regeneration."
Council spokesman Rob Davies insisted:
"We held a competitive tender for the demolition contract to ensure we got the best possible price. The salvage and sale of recyclable materials such as metal, steel and timber are being carried out by the contractor but it is important to stress that any money made from this was included as savings to the council in the tender price.
It also makes sense on a practical level because, if the council had kept these materials, it would have incurred substantial transport and storage costs. The council let the contract on a maximum price basis, where the risk of any cost increase was transferred to the contractor.
This decision was a very good one as, when the building envelope was opened, it was discovered that the amount of asbestos in the building was understated and its removal was more problematic than first envisaged. The council has incurred no extra cost but has allowed the contractors extra time to deal with these difficult issues.
We are forecasting that the demolition works will be completed by mid-April and that the post-demolition works will be completed in time for the summer season."
The row erupted as the council was blasted by former Pier Trust bosses for failing to back the group. Former treasurer and accountant Jason Hollingsworth, 40, from Victoria Park, who stood down from the Trust three months ago, said in a joint letter with former chairman Graham Cooper:
"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. Throughout 2011, the Herne Bay Pier Trust participated in a joint working group with Canterbury City Council but from our experience the key difficulty was getting clear and consistent answers from the council as to its plans, ideas and funding."
Former chairman of the trust's business group Michael Khoury said:
"We worked out that a pier platform reaching the old pier head would cost £11 million, not £60 million as some claimed. The council has spent more than half a million pounds just knocking the building down with nothing left. Where's the vision?"
Pier campaigner Kim Hennelly asked the city council's deputy head of culture and enterprise Dawn Hudd outright about the council's intentions and received this reply:
"The council does not have any current intention of rebuilding the pier itself. Our corporate plan pledges to improve the seafront and the current pier platform. The Herne Bay Pier Trust was set up so that a business plan could be developed by the trust working with the people of Herne Bay.
The council is supporting this process by helping the trust to develop its business plan during this year and deliver events and activities on the pier platform for the 2012 season. We expect the trust to pursue rebuilding or extending the pier if it considers that to be right."
thisikent 23rd Mar 2012
At long last Canterbury City Council has described its vision for the future of our Pier. In a word: short.
Some of the trustees of the Pier Trust have been angling for a new Pier for years, if not decades. All of the trustees have given generously of their time and expertise. They have drawn together a wealth of national and international experts to produce first rate proposals and business plans which they presented to our Council.
CCC dismissed them, and now we know why.
The Council was instrumental in setting up the Pier Trust, providing £5,000 of funding in the first year. This £5,000 was important, as it allowed the Pier Trust to register for charitable status. In exchange for the start-up funding, CCC insisted on having two councillors on the board of trustees.
In an ideal world, these two councillors would have provided a direct line of communication with the Council, thus speeding up the decision-making and smoothing progress. More recently, however, they seem to have been used as a way of keeping an wary eye on the Trust, dampening expectations, and limiting options.
The inevitable frustration with lack of progress led to some of the dedicated and hard-working volunteers resigning from the Trust. Unsurprising - there's a limit to how long anyone will bang their head against a wall. And the Council had the nerve to publicly badmouth the Trust and the trustees.
And now we know why. The Council, our Council, never intended to rebuild the Pier.
The Pier Trust's clearly stated objective has always been to rebuild the Pier. The Council's representatives on the board of trustees didn't support the Trust's goal, but undermined and stifled it. We've seen how effectively Canterbury City Council has been when raising money for projects in Canterbury (Beaney, Marlowe). No such efforts were made for this project in Herne Bay.
Click HERE to read an excellent response to the Council's criticisms of the Trust, and a few well-placed criticisms of the Council. The splendid Kim Hennelly cut to the chase with her characteristic directness, and asked Cllr Gilbey (Leader of the Council) whether CCC ever intended to rebuild the Pier. Here's the reply:
Mrs Hennelly
I am writing in response to your email of 7 March 2012 regarding the future of Herne Bay Pier and the council’s intentions in this regard.
The council does not have any current intention of rebuilding the pier itself, our Corporate Plan pledges to improve the sea front and the current pier platform.
The Herne Bay Pier Trust was set up so that a business plan could be developed by the Trust working with the people of Herne Bay. The council is supporting this process by helping the Trust to develop its business plan during this year and to deliver events and activities on the pier platform for the 2012 season. We expect the Trust to pursue rebuilding or extending the Pier if they consider that to be right.
Regards
Dawn Hudd CMgr, MIED
Deputy Head of Culture & Enterprise
Canterbury City Council
So there you have it.
The Council is happy to knock down the Pier - which needed to be knocked down because it had been so cheaply maintained over the years that demolition became cheaper than continued patching. The Council is happy to splash down some tarmac and let us have "events and activities" on it.
But if the Trust wants to rebuild the Pier, they're on their own. I think the Council, our Council, should have made that clear from the very beginning.
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
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
It was the end of the pier show this week as wreckers finally moved in to start demolishing Herne Bay's Pier Pavilion. But the big question now is: what will replace it?
Members of the town's Pier Trust were given a glimpse into the future at its second annual meeting at Herne Bay Junior School. One of the few suggestions was a marina. Trust treasurer Jason Hollingsworth told the gathering of more than 100 members:
"The original pier, almost a mile long, was built to accommodate steamships. Any replacement must have an economic purpose and be able to provide a long-term revenue stream for the future. A deep water marina is one possibility, but everything is being considered and nothing has been ruled out."
But the marina idea held little water for businesswoman Carol Chance. The health and safety consultant admitted:
"I am a little disappointed, frankly. What's the vision? I'm astounded that there are still only 400 members of the Trust."
She rejected the idea of a marina saying the town could not accommodate larger yachts. Even city council leader John Gilbey admitted:
"Marinas are not famous for making money. And you only have to stand on the end of the current pier to see how shallow the water is. The pier trust is taking exactly the right, methodical approach for the future. We'll see what happens."
The meeting started with a slick video explaining the importance of the pier to the town. Regeneration of the pier is expected to come in two stages. The first will be finding things for the "pier stub" which will be left after the pavilion is knocked down. Heron Conservative councillor Joe Howes said:
"We could have dancing. The town is full of dance schools. We could also pitch a Big Top circus tent there with a Ferris wheel, helter-skelter and stage 'birdman' competitions. This could be a vintage, retro pier with a farmers' market."
The trust is still raising money to carry out another feasibility study and has £15,000 in the bank. Accountant Mr Hollingsworth stressed:
"We don't want to present a half-baked cake and then have it collapse!"
Trustee and original founder Andy Newell said:
"There are a range of funds available. We are hoping to get rent from the windfarm from the Crown Estates. There are EU regeneration funds available. But first we need a very clear business plan and that's what we're working on."
thisiskent 19th Sep 2011
Well, dear reader, here's an interesting little something... a report on our dainty little town, as viewed through the eyes of a visitor from afar.
RE: Herne Bay Pier Pavilion
Dear Sir/Madam,
We recently visited Herne Bay for the first time and on the whole enjoyed our day in the town. However, we were both rather horrified and aghast at the sight of the 1976 Pier Pavilion.
After recovering from our disbelief we decided that while a building so municipal, imposing and downright ugly may have made sense on an industrial estate on the outskirts of Milton Keynes, as the focal point of a 'Victorian' coastal resort it was akin to seeing the Queen making a public appearance with chocolate spread smeared on her cheek.
We understand it comes from a period of history when architects and town planners were realising that they could make or save a lot of money by dispensing with beauty, care, aesthetics and consideration and that function very much took priority over form, but I have never seen such an ugly building having such an inappropriate impact on its surroundings: Nothing short of traumatic.
No passing of time, changing of fashion or understanding of irony could ever make the Pier Pavilion 'fit' in its present surroundings.
One or two Monty Python sketches come to mind, luckily never actually put into practice, but the most pertinent would have to be the famous image of the oversized, naked foot descending and crushing a collection of otherwise harmonious and innocent 'bystanders' accompanied by the sound of someone blowing a raspberry.
PLEASE dismantle the Pier Pavilion if only as a kindness and a lifeline to the rest of the seafront and the businesses that depend on it, and we, and others, may consider visiting Herne Bay again.
We feel sure it could be removed even more quickly and 'carelessly' than it was put there 35 years ago. Please do let me know if there are any plans to this effect.
Yours sincerely,
JH
;)
Perhaps it has been a major tourist attraction in some ironic way. Maybe the people of Herne Bay have grown to love it. Or does it serve to keep the nasty tourists away. Perhaps roller hockey is more popular than I first thought?!
Other than the Pier Pavilion which I have to admit is a bit of a talking point, I should say that we did have a lovely day and would definitely choose Herne Bay over Whitstable on most counts on our next escapade from London.
Dash along to the Herne Bay Museum and see the brand new "Not the End of the Pier Show" - running until 11th September.
Museum bosses tore down a poster promoting Herne Bay Pier Trust, despite the fact that the latest exhibition is dedicated to the iconic seaside structure. Despite protests from staff at the William Street museum, managers insisted the poster had to be removed because it did not fit in with the council's corporate branding.
Pier trust members who complained were told the poster had been put in the wrong place. Trust chairman Julian Jennings said:
"It's bureaucracy gone mad. I don't think the staff knew there was a right and wrong place for posters, so they were not happy when it was taken down. But it's now been put up in the right place, so we hope everyone is happy."
The row is the latest in a series of grumbles since the museum shop was taken over by the council's visitor services team in a bid to make more money. Staff now wear Canterbury-branded uniforms, and city-branded leaflets are on display around the museum. Visitors who do not have a residents' card issued by the council must also pay to enter the exhibitions, after a review initially recommended shutting the museum.
David Cross, secretary of the Friends of the Museum, said:
"There is a completely new regime in charge of the museum and they are still trying things out. They are aware they will get things wrong, and have done so, and we the Friends are concerned about that. But we are confident we will arrive together at the right conclusion."
Council spokesman Steve James added:
"We've always been very supportive of the Pier Trust and its work in the community, and only removed the posters from the Herne Bay Museum as part of a general tidy-up of the building entrance. But after being contacted by a trust member, we agreed to put the posters back, and these posters will complement trust leaflets which are always on display. No offence was intended, and we hope that we can continue to display trust posters in a co-ordinated manner. We're proud that Herne Bay Museum and Gallery forms an integral part of the community, and we always respond positively to feedback supplied by local residents."
HB Times 15th Jul 2011
Dozens of mums are delighted after the city council reversed a decision to close a creche in Herne Bay. The Pier Pavilion Sports Centre will close in September, and facilities including the creche will move to the newly refurbished Herons Leisure Pool. But childcare provision appeared to be left out as mums were told to start taking their children to Kingsmead Leisure Centre in Canterbury instead.
Active Life, which looks after all council-owned leisure facilities in the district, had told members who use the existing day creche at the Pier Pavilion there would be no room at Herons. More than 130 children are registered on the creche’s books and the news had come as a huge disappointment to their mums.
But Denise Rigden, from Tankerton Road, Whitstable took the issue straight to the city council’s deputy head of culture and enterprise David Ford. The 37-year-old was growing concerned about where to take son Max, aged 18 months, after September. She said:
"I made my views known to him directly and explained how valued a service it is and the great job done by all its staff. He was extremely helpful and was prepared to listen to concerns. It’s fantastic news to hear it will be staying put at Herons and a huge relief. I thought my exercise days would be over come September and some members have been in tears at the prospect of having to stop going to their classes."
David Ford said:
"The provision of new creche facilities were always to form part of the refurbished Herons Leisure Pool. Active Life took the initial decision not to provide a creche service as it was becoming clear that it was very difficult to effectively run it to the same standard as that provided on the Pier. However, mindful of the value customers place on this service, creche provision will remain at Herons as originally planned and Active Life is working with the council on options to make sure a solution is found to ensure the continuation of this service."
HB Gazette 13th Jul 2011
The cost of demolishing the Herne Bay pier pavilion has risen dramatically because much higher quantities of asbestos than expected have been discovered in the building. The city council had originally budgeted £425,000 but the latest structural survey has revealed the full extent of extra work needed.
Now the lowest acceptable tender from a specialist demolition company is nearly £668,000 - £243,000 more than expected. The new figures were revealed to members of the council executive on Thursday which agreed to fund the extra cost. Cllr Peter Vickery-Jones said:
"This is a huge increase but there is no alternative. We have to find the money because we can't leave the building as it is."
Cllr Peter Lee added:
"The pier is a key part of Herne Bay's regeneration and investment in the town. But it will enable its replacement with something more for tourists which will provide an income for the Pier Trust."
Pier Trust chairman Julian Jennings told the executive he hoped there would not be any delays because it wanted the pier platform to be available for summer activities in 2012.
The contract is now expected to last 24 weeks and work is expected to start in the autumn when the sports facilities, currently housed in the pavilion, are transferred to a new sports centre at Herne Bay High School.
HB Gazette 23rd Jun 2011
Council bosses will have to pay an extra £218,000 to knock down Herne Bay's dilapidated pier pavilion after deadly asbestos was found in the building. Contractors surveying the aging sports centre – due to be demolished because it is too expensive to maintain – made the bombshell discovery last month. It was revealed to the city council's ruling executive committee on Thursday, and Pier Trust chairman Julian Jennings told councillors the group was concerned the discovery could lead to delays. He said:
"It could affect our 2012 summer programme when the whole country is celebrating the Olympics and the Queen's golden jubilee. The pier should be offering a programme of events that appeal both to residents and visitors and reflect these celebrations. If the opportunity is lost because of delays it would not reflect well on the town."
But officials said they were confident the work would finish in time, and stressed how important it was to the town. The historic pier was first built in 1831 and has been rebuilt twice since them. In 1978 a severe storm demolished part of it, leaving the pier head stranded at sea. Herne and Broomfield councillor Peter Vickery-Jones said officials would select the best contractor for the job rather than the cheapest. He added:
"It is a huge increase but we have no option. It needs to be done properly. It is not an option to leave the building as it is. We need to find the money and we should get on and do it."
West Bay councillor Peter Lee said the project would remain a priority, despite the increasing cost.
"To refurbish the building or rebuild it elsewhere would have cost £3.5 million. That is about the same as we have spent on Herons and Herne Bay High School."
The building is due to be cleared in September and demolition work will start in October.
We have unfortunately had to postpone our AGM which will not now be held on 14 June. We apologise for any inconvenience this causes you.
When we set our date we checked the diaries for all other important local meetings. The Herne Bay Area Panel was scheduled to meet on 7 June but has now been changed until a week later, 14 June, and therefore the same night as our AGM. As this meeting cannot be rearranged a second time, the Pier Trust has been asked to move its AGM.
Due to the unavailability of trustees during July and August, the AGM will now take place during the first week in September. The date will be notified as soon as possible.
The third exhibition at the Herne Bay Pier Trust Gallery opens on 27 May and will run until 12 June. The exhibition is called Herne Bay's Helping Hands by Theresa Gaston St John. The Gallery is open from 11am to 6pm every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
For all enquiries about the Gallery from artists and groups please contact Andrea Leach andrea.leach@yahoo.co.uk or telephone 07802 630871. Andrea is still looking for more volunteers to help out at the Gallery during opening hours. Please contact him if you are able to assist, even for a few hours.
WHEN: Saturday 12 March 2011 from 10am – 10pm
WHERE: Pier Pavilion Herne Bay
WHY: To celebrate 100 years of roller skating
WHAT: Free events for everyone to enjoy
HOW: Just come along!
10:00 to 11:30 Family Skating Session
11:30 to 12:30 Artistic Skating Workshop
12:30 to 14:00 Roller Hockey Workshop
14:30 to 16:00 Family Skating Session
16:00 to 17:30 Roller Derby
17:30 to 19:00 Roller Hockey Match
19:00 to 21:00 Social Skate
21:00 to 22:00 Roller Disco
Exhibition of roller skating memorabilia in the Pier Cafe all day.
Herne Bay Pier Trust members may claim free skate hire for them and their family by quoting their membership number. Non-members will be charged for skate hire only.
The Herne Bay Pier Trust in association with Southern Water is proud to sponsor a day filled with fun and activities for all ages at the launch of British Tourism Week 2011. The National Piers Society invited every pier in the country to join in this celebration of our nation’s piers and seaside heritage, encouraging residents and tourists to visit and highlighting the importance of maintaining and restoring our piers.
Herne Bay’s pier was unique. It was the second longest in the country and the first to install a permanent roller skating rink. Our roller hockey teams compete at international level and have played at the pier since the beginning of the last century. This hundred year old history of skating on our pier will come to an end in 2011 when the current pier pavilion is demolished and a new rink opens at Greenhill. So we decided to make our Party on the Pier a very special celebration of this unique relationship.
Sponsored and supported by Herne Bay Pier Trust and Southern Water in association with British Tourism Week.
HB Times 28th Oct 2010
HB Times 14th Oct 2010
;)