Tuesday, September 7, 2010

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Chronology


1863 April. Construction starts, engineer Eugenius Birch (1818-1884).
1866 6th October. Pier opened by Mayor (Henry Martin). Cost £27,000. Length1115 ft. Two square kiosks at entrance; two octagonal kiosks with marinets at centre; four octagonal kiosks at corners of pier head platform. Also on platform: windshields and rotunda screen. Lamp columns decorated with entwined serpents placed around perimeter and lit by gas. Motif said to derive from Royal Pavilion music room.
1875 Central section of the pier widened and a covered bandstand built there. 600,000 visitors, entrance toll 2d.
1890 A central windscreen built the length of the pier neck.
1893 The pier head widened and a large pavilion built, to be used first as a 1400 seat concert hall.
1896 Chain Pier (located close to the site of the Palace Pier) destroyed by a storm. Wreckage driven into West Pier causing £6000 of damage. Landing stage constructed to cater for steamer excursions. Part of the original plans of the pier
1903 Pavilion converted into a theatre with seating for 1000 people.
1916 Pier widened further at centre and Concert Hall built. The completion of the Concert Hall marked the end of the half century of building the West Pier. There were no other significant additions, the structure that exists today less the decay is essentially that which existed in 1916
1939 Pier closed for security reasons.
1940 Section of pier removed to prevent enemy landing. Pier mined.
1943 In readiness for D-Day, mines cleared. One explodes in the face of Bomb Disposal Officer Ken Revis. He survives, albeit blinded. Until his death in 2001 he was a West Pier Trust Board member. Blast also destroys a kiosk which is later replaced by a helter skelter.
1948 Pier reopened to the public after the repair of its war wounds.
1965 The West Pier Company bought by AVP Industries Ltd (the then owners of the Bedford and Metropole hotels).
1968 Pier used as location for the film “Oh, What a Lovely War!” directed by Richard Attenborough.
1969 AVP seeks permission to demolish the southern end. Pier made Grade II* to protect it.
1970 Southern end of pier closed to the public because lack of maintenance had made it unsafe.
1974 The prospect of authorisation to demolish the pier was challenged with a robust campaign to save it: marches along the seafront and a 5000 signature petition organised by John Lloyd. Pier reprieved.
1975 Entire pier closed to the public for safety reasons.
1977 The West Pier Company put into liquidation by AVP Industries.
1978 Pier passed into the ownership of the Crown Estate Commissioners by the Offical Receiver. The West Pier Trust is formed. An Act of Parliament gives the Trust the sole right to operate the pier.
1982 The West Pier granted Grade I listed status.
1983 Crown Estate Commissioners sell the pier to the Trust for £100.
Part of the original plans of the pier
986 With grants from various sources including Brighton Council, English Heritage, The National Heritage Memorial Fund, restoration of the first 100ft root end begins.
1987 15th September. Restored root end reopened.
1994 November. The National Lottery created.
1995 The Trust submits an application for funding to the Heritage Lottery Fund.
1996 August. Trust awarded £950,000 by the Heritage Lottery Fund to fund emergency works to the pier.
1998 HLF approves a grant of £14.2m towards the restoration of the pier.
1999 March-August. HLF releases c£450,000 to fund a phase of work to stabilise the substructure of the pier and prepare for the start of the full restoration.
2001 HLF reconfirms its award and accepts St Modwen Properties plc as the Trust’s private sector partner. A final phase of development work is agreed prior to the start of the full restoration of the pier (Design & Development phase). April – Project frozen by HLF while Palace Pier owners’ legal challenge of West Pier lottery award referred to European Commission.
2002 European Commission clears legal challenge and HLF reactivates project, £1.2m Design & Development
phase of work begins. Extensive public consultation takes place on BWPT/St Modwen enabling development
proposals.
2003 29th Dec/20th Jan partial collapses of Concert Hall. 26th Feb Brighton & Hove City Council grants planning permission for BWPT/St Modwen enabling development proposals.March and May arson attacks destroy the Pavilion and Concert Hall
2004 HLF withdraws its funding for the project. English Heritage states ‘the West Pier must be saved’ and asks for until September to come up with a viable restoration scheme.
23rd June freak summer storm leaves Concert Hall totally collapsed.
2006 Planning permission granted to build the i360, an observation tower designed by Marks Barfield Architects, the creators of the London Eye. It will be sited on the root-end of the pier and will open an exciting new chapter for the West Pier.