Brighton Eye to start at last

Andy Chiles - The Argus Thursday, 22 May, 2008

New deal spells end to series of false starts

Building work is to begin finally on the Brighton Eye over a year late and after a succession of false starts.

The developers behind the i360 seafront viewing tower have begun to put in place agreements which will enable them to commence construction within months or even weeks.

It is a boost to Brighton and Hove after a period of uncertainty about major projects planned for the seafront.

The developers behind schemes at Brighton Marina, the King Alfred site in Hove, the Brighton Centre and Black Rock have all been forced to look at their plans again because of the credit crunch.

Architects Marks Barfield, who were responsible for the London Eye, were given planning permission in 2006 to build the i360, a 172m high needle tower dubbed the "stick of rock" with an ascending and descending donut-shaped viewing platform.

Now notices have been issued by the Department for Transport (DfT) to enable work at the development site at the land end of the wrecked West Pier.

Members of the West Pier Trust, which had campaigned to rebuild the pier but now back the i360, said it was very positive news.

Geoff Lockwood, the chief executive of the trust, said: "They are clearing the way for when they want to start. They haven't given us a definite start date yet but this means we are looking at work starting within months and not facing a wait of another year."

Work was expected to start last July and delayed first to October then until this summer while planning and finance details were finalised.

David Marks, founding partner of Marks Barfield, was out of the country but staff at the firm said they were expecting to make an official announcement next month. They confirmed the project was moving forward positively.

The DfT notice said a 66m long and 30m-wide stretch of the lower esplanade on the seafront by the West Pier would be closed to the public while work was under way.

The trust said it hoped the creation of the i360 would eventually lead to a new pier being built at the site. The i360 was granted planning permission after the Noble Organisation, the owner of the Palace Pier, dropped its objections.