Group wants to give town 'wow' factor (From The Northern Echo)

Group wants to give town 'wow' factor

8:00am Monday 19th December 2011 in News By Graeme Hetherington

A GROUP has been set up to campaign for a traditional pier for a seaside town.

The inaugural meeting of the Redcar Pier Association attracted more than 50 people interested in developing a modern structure to complement the controversial vertical pier being built in the town.

At the meeting, organisers stated their mission statement was to design and build an environmentally-sound and culturally-iconic pier for the benefit of the people of Redcar and the general public.

Chairman Brian Morton said the group is already working alongside Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council to try to identify ways of accessing funds to build the ambitious project.

“The inaugural meeting was well attended with more than 50 people turning out to show their support,” he said.

“The idea is that we can work alongside the council.

“The council is able to access some funding sources, but there are some that the council can’t access, and these are the ones that we will be approaching.

“Hopefully, it’s going to be a joint effort. We have already met with the council officers and they believe they are able to work with us to source funding.”

The council is building an 80ft vertical pier, which will be the centrepiece of a £30m regeneration project on the sea front that also includes improved sea defences.

Mr Morton added: “We are not opposing any development taking place in the town, because any development is better that than no development.

“There is no reason why a traditional pier can not sit alongside and complement the vertical pier which is being built by the council.

“We are wanting something modern. We don’t want to simply recreate a Victorian pier.

What we are hoping to achieve is for people to along and see the pier and think ‘wow’.”

People wishing to support or join the association can email redcarpierassociation @mail.com, call Mr Morton on 01642-478699, or Carl Conway on 01642-288329. Details can be also be found on Facebook: The Redcar Pier Association.

The first annual meeting is to be held in March, when there will be election of officers and membership applications.

Cheques for £10 should be made payable to Redcar Pier Association can be sent to RPA, Tones News, 44 Station Road, Redcar, TS10 1AG.