West Pier Restoration & Development

Update

Save Our Seafront Thursday, 12 September, 2002

A planning application was registered On 17 April 2002 for the land side enabling development, a large shopping complex similar in floor area to the old Hanningtons building (70,000 sq ft), founded on the foreshore either side of the West Pier (on land donated by the Council to the developer St Modwen Properties Plc) and rising 20 ft above the Kings Road promenade, obliterating the sea views and altering the character of the sea front.

3300 Individual letters of objection have been delivered to the planning department by Save Our Seafront. We expect to deliver more.

An Environmental Impact Assessment, contrary to the Council's opinion but directed by the Secretary of State at Save Our Seafront's behest, is now required for this most sensitive development on the seafront. This requires the developer to produce an Environmental Statement which must be assessed as part of the planning procedure.

An Environmental Statement is to be issued by the developer and copies will be made available for inspection by the public who have 21 days in which to make any comments. Save Our Seafront intends to assess the quality of the statement and comment accordingly, where necessary requesting additional information.

A revised planning application is to he submitted by the developer according to the West Pier Trust. We have also learnt that the developer is proposing to make a presentation of the amended plans to the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment prior to submitting a revised planning application. We shall again have 21 days in which to comment on the revised plans once submitted.

Further letters of objection are more than likely to he required following submission of the revised plans and Save Our Seafront may again be asking for your support in submitting individual letters of objection.

August 2002