Need for high expectations

The Argus - Comment Friday, 31 March, 2006

THERE was strong opposition when the London Eye was first proposed from people saying it would spoil the capital's skyline.

Yet it has become one of London's biggest tourist attractions, carrying millions of people every year to see panoramic views of the city.

No doubt there will be equally outraged voices raised against the prospect of a Brighton Eye, revealed in The Argus today.

But the likelihood is that this tall tower would also be a big success and it would have the added bonus of raising some money to help revive the derelict West Pier.

The proposed tower is a handsome structure on its own but it would be the tallest structure in Sussex. The question for Brighton and Hove is whether it would be alien in a city which prides itself on its Victorian and Regency heritage.

If the tower is rejected, the question of what to do with the old pier will remain. It simply cannot be allowed to remain a sad and prominent wreck while, on each side, the seafront has seen a spectacular revival.

Without the Brighton Eye or some other major commercial development at the shore end, money will never be available to remove the ruins of the concert hall, let alone to start planning a replacement pier.

Now so much of the old listed pier has collapsed or been fire damaged, hopes of restoring it to its Twenties splendour have disappeared.

But a rebuilt pier, paying respect to the past while looking to the future, could be a thing of beauty and a magnet for tourists.

Brighton and Hove's iconic buildings, such as the Pavilion and the pier itself, came about because people were prepared to be bold.

That same spirit is needed today by the often timorous city council to deal with the Brighton Eye and other big seafront projects, otherwise the city will find itself overtaken by more courageous rivals.