Pier Pressure - campaigners waiting for result of £4.8m aid bidPublished date: 14 March 2012 | Published by: Iwan Berry PIER campaigners face a nail biting 12 days before finding out if their bid to save the landmark is successful.
The future of Colwyn Bay’s dilapidated pier will be decided by the Heritage Lottery Fund which has been asked for £4.8 million towards the cost of restoring the building.
About £10 million is needed to bring the pier back to life with the bid spearheaded by independent group Shore Thing and Conwy County Borough Council.
D-Day is March 26 and, if the funding bid is successful, a 15 month redevelopment of the structure will start.
Late March will also see a court decision made on the ownership of the pier – an issue made all the more crucial by the fact that HLF extended their deadline for the application to allow the issue to be resolved.
Overall funding for the project is estimated to cost about £10million with £2.1 million needed to restore the structure. If the lottery fund bid is successful the way will open for Shore Thing and the county council to cast the net for further funding.
Plans for the pier’s future were unveiled early in November, detailing the planned split of the pier and surrounding area into four distinct zones; promenade, entertainment, learning and commercial.
Jay Martin, Chairman of Shore Thing, described the meeting as “the first key stage” in the development.
Penny Davies, chair of the Pier Pressure Group, said: “We discuss possibilities, but if we hadn’t been optimistic, we wouldn’t be where we are now. But this is a crucial time, and we’re just hoping with the momentum going well everywhere else, we’re on the right rollercoaster.
“I don’t see why not to be optimistic.”
Shore Thing is also looking for applicants with backgrounds in fundraising, construction, volunteer management, finance, public relations and marketing.
Applications, accompanied by a CV, should be sent to The Company Secretary, Colwyn Bay Shore Thing, 15 Hillside Road, Colwyn Bay, LL29 7EL.
http://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/111118/pier-pressure-campaigners-waiting-for-result-of-4-8m-aid-bid.aspx