Brighton and Hove City Council signed the final contracts relating to the proposed i360 observation tower this afternoon (Thursday 19 June).
Councillor Geoffrey Bowden, chairman of the council’s Economic Development and Culture Committee, announced the news at a meeting of the committee at Hove Town Hall.
He said: “This afternoon we reached financial close on the i360.
“The deal was signed and we start construction shortly.
“That’s a £36 million project that will deliver £1 million a year to the city.”
The West Pier Trust is working with London Eye architects Marks Barfield on the project
Recently work started to remove the old pier piling from the beach in readiness for construction work on the i360.
The council said: “The i360 will be a reality on Brighton’s seafront as loan agreements were signed by Brighton and Hove City Council, Brighton i360 and Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership today.”
Council leader Jason Kitcat said: “We are delighted to confirm our funding agreement with the Brighton i360.
“It will be a spectacular observation attraction and is the cornerstone to funding the regeneration of Brighton’s seafront, expected to draw over 700,000 additional tourists and up to £25 million revenue into the local economy annually as well as over £1 million to the council during the next two years of construction.
“Longer term the i360 will benefit the city through annual interest payments of over £1million as well as 1 per cent of ticket sales in perpetuity, as well as creating jobs and investment.”
David Marks, creator of the Brighton i360 and the London Eye, said: “We have the opportunity to create something truly unique and of international renown here on Brighton’s beautiful seafront and we look forward to opening the attraction in summer 2016.”
The council said that it was estimated that the i360 will generate more than 440 permanent jobs, including 169 at the attraction plus additional jobs from the spin-off benefits to other businesses in the city.
It said that many other attractions and hotels in the city were already enthusiastic about partnering with the i360.
Today the council signed contracts were signed by for a loan agreement of £36.2 million to Brighton i360 Ltd, which comes through the council from a government agency called the Public Works Loan Board (PWLB).
The council said: “No council tax money is being used to fund this.
“The profit on the interest from the loan plus business rates will earn the council over £1 million per year at a time of public cuts. All this money will be reinvested in the city.
“Any additional monies generated by the project will be returned to the council to accelerate the loan repayment.
“The total project cost is £46.2 million, including interest, and architects David Marks and Julia Barfield are investing £6 million and have met all costs to date including the costs of getting planning permission.
“Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is making a seven-year loan of £4 million to the project.”
LEP chief executive Ron Crank said: “We immediately recognised the significance of ensuring this iconic project proceeds, enabling Brighton and Hove to remain at the forefront of the UK visitor economy.
“Our Growing Places Fund has been established to support such loan investments and guarantees the creation and sustainability of local jobs.”
West Pier Trust chairman Glynn Jones said: “The West Pier Trust is delighted that financial close has been reached and that work can now start apace on the construction of what will be a truly elegant and exciting addition to the city’s shop front, the seafront.
“The i360 is the result of the closest partnership working between the trust, Marks Barfield and the council and the local enterprise partnership who were courageous and had the foresight to invest in the project.
“The i360 will help ensure that the council’s vision for the seafront moves ahead. By working in collaboration we will bring to our city a world class attraction which will be a worthy successor in part to the former West Pier.
“By reaching agreement the city has once again continued the process of reinventing itself, demonstrating that is open for business and that it is at the leading edge of tourism for all age groups.”
The council added: “Work to remove the root end of the West Pier and columns on the beach to make way for the project is on track and due to be completed by the end of the month, though the much-loved sea island of the old West Pier will remain.
“It is expected that construction work will begin on the Brighton i360 in July.”
This will all end in tears; anything that the incapable and incompetent Green Council gets its hands on is bound to fail.
This will all end in tears; anything that the incapable and incompetent Green Council gets its hands on is bound to fail.
I just fear this will dominate the landscape far too much. Has anyone really considered this, regardless of whether or not it maintains interest years down the line?
I just fear this will dominate the landscape far too much. Has anyone really considered this, regardless of whether or not it maintains interest years down the line?
Someone always says that something will dominate the landscape. That’s not a bad thing – other things that dominate the landscape: Royal Pavilion, CN Tower, Spinnaker, London Eye, Big Ben, Eiffel Tower… Etc. Dominating a landscape is not the same as damaging the scene, like the Odeon does, and like this does not.
Someone always says that something will dominate the landscape. That’s not a bad thing – other things that dominate the landscape: Royal Pavilion, CN Tower, Spinnaker, London Eye, Big Ben, Eiffel Tower… Etc. Dominating a landscape is not the same as damaging the scene, like the Odeon does, and like this does not.
“I bet it blows down in a storm.”
“I bet it blows down in a storm.”
So excited. About time Brighton had something to cheer about. What an amazing piece of architecture. Well done. Looking forward to going up already.
So excited. About time Brighton had something to cheer about. What an amazing piece of architecture. Well done. Looking forward to going up already.
Waste of money we don’t have on crap we don’t need, while people are starving and freezing to death on the streets.
Austerity for the poor, PWLB (taxpayer money) “developments” for the rich.
Rancid.
Waste of money we don’t have on crap we don’t need, while people are starving and freezing to death on the streets.
Austerity for the poor, PWLB (taxpayer money) “developments” for the rich.
Rancid.
http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/public-works-loan-board-please-refuse-the-bhcc-loan-request-for-36-2m-for-onward-lending-to-brighton-i360-ltd-to-build-the-i360-on-brighton-s-seafront
http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/public-works-loan-board-please-refuse-the-bhcc-loan-request-for-36-2m-for-onward-lending-to-brighton-i360-ltd-to-build-the-i360-on-brighton-s-seafront
Ben, I suspect you’re conflating to things: Investment in tourist facilities and expenditure on the unfortunate. We cannot spend all our money on peoples immediate needs because if we do, there won’t be enough money tomorrow to do so. There is not a finite amount of money in the world, and making more is private enterprises’ main concern, rightly.
What you propose is rerunning the failed experiments in socialism tried in Russia et al.
Ben, I suspect you’re conflating to things: Investment in tourist facilities and expenditure on the unfortunate. We cannot spend all our money on peoples immediate needs because if we do, there won’t be enough money tomorrow to do so. There is not a finite amount of money in the world, and making more is private enterprises’ main concern, rightly.
What you propose is rerunning the failed experiments in socialism tried in Russia et al.
Thanks for that protracted analysis of my commentary Gavin. I respectfully disagree with you though. I’m not conflating anything, neither am I discussing socialism, communism, or any other “ism”. I’m talking about basic common sense. If we continue to over invest exorbitantly on decadent tourism infrastructure (for the minority who can still afford leisure), while ignoring the plight of the “unfortunate” (the majority who can’t) – I imagine the majority may be inclined to burn said tourist infrastructure to the ground.
I’m dropping all this bleeding heart liberal shit from now on – 1%ers don’t get it. Was that cold, rational/logical enough for you?
Read some Pikkety.
Salutations.
🙂
Thanks for that protracted analysis of my commentary Gavin. I respectfully disagree with you though. I’m not conflating anything, neither am I discussing socialism, communism, or any other “ism”. I’m talking about basic common sense. If we continue to over invest exorbitantly on decadent tourism infrastructure (for the minority who can still afford leisure), while ignoring the plight of the “unfortunate” (the majority who can’t) – I imagine the majority may be inclined to burn said tourist infrastructure to the ground.
I’m dropping all this bleeding heart liberal shit from now on – 1%ers don’t get it. Was that cold, rational/logical enough for you?
Read some Pikkety.
Salutations.
🙂
According to a 2012 engineering article reprinted on the Marks Barfield website, the ‘attraction’ will not run, would be stopped in the event of wind gusting to 44mph. It is engineered to withstand 110mph briefly – seconds/minutes.
Winds last winter would have closed down I360 frequently and the 1987 hurricane would have come close to compromising it structurally.
There are no known evacuation procedures or options apart from the spiral stairs inside the pole.
A sub-station to power the i360 is planned to go inside one of the Listed arches. There is one for the Palace/Brighton Pier too. It suffered inundation from the sea last winter and blew up, causing a fire….
Extreme weather events are increasing and I hope the Metropole is insured against the effects of impact should that pole be toppled in any future hurricane force winds.
The design replicates a number of near identical viewing pods round the world – Texas, Tunisia, Weymouth….laughable to even call it architecture, really.
According to a 2012 engineering article reprinted on the Marks Barfield website, the ‘attraction’ will not run, would be stopped in the event of wind gusting to 44mph. It is engineered to withstand 110mph briefly – seconds/minutes.
Winds last winter would have closed down I360 frequently and the 1987 hurricane would have come close to compromising it structurally.
There are no known evacuation procedures or options apart from the spiral stairs inside the pole.
A sub-station to power the i360 is planned to go inside one of the Listed arches. There is one for the Palace/Brighton Pier too. It suffered inundation from the sea last winter and blew up, causing a fire….
Extreme weather events are increasing and I hope the Metropole is insured against the effects of impact should that pole be toppled in any future hurricane force winds.
The design replicates a number of near identical viewing pods round the world – Texas, Tunisia, Weymouth….laughable to even call it architecture, really.
What you say would make sense, if the majority were suffering the plight you say they are. I’m afraid I just don’t see any evidence of that. Yes, there’s been a slight widening of the rich-poor gap since 1997, but the economy is well on track, unemployment in Brighton is hovering around 2% and I personally know three people who have started their own business in the last year. Sounds like we need to invest in things that may make us a financial return and continue to pay for those who cannot work, such as the disabled.
What you say would make sense, if the majority were suffering the plight you say they are. I’m afraid I just don’t see any evidence of that. Yes, there’s been a slight widening of the rich-poor gap since 1997, but the economy is well on track, unemployment in Brighton is hovering around 2% and I personally know three people who have started their own business in the last year. Sounds like we need to invest in things that may make us a financial return and continue to pay for those who cannot work, such as the disabled.
gavin gavin gavin. i fear it WILL dominate the landscape – if you live underneath the bugger.
it is also not attractive like the eiffel tower. it is a pole with a polo on it.
And the royal pavilion is hardly 600ft tall is it?
Less is more, which business will never understand, faltering/recovering economy or not.
gavin gavin gavin. i fear it WILL dominate the landscape – if you live underneath the bugger.
it is also not attractive like the eiffel tower. it is a pole with a polo on it.
And the royal pavilion is hardly 600ft tall is it?
Less is more, which business will never understand, faltering/recovering economy or not.
“We, writers, painters, sculptors, architects and passionate devotees of the hitherto untouched beauty of Paris, protest with all our strength, with all our indignation in the name of slighted French taste, against the erection…of this useless and monstrous Eiffel Tower…To bring our arguments home, imagine for a moment a giddy, ridiculous tower dominating Paris like a gigantic black smokestack, crushing under its barbaric bulk Notre Dame, the Tour Saint-Jacques, the Louvre, the Dome of les Invalides, the Arc de Triomphe, all of our humiliated monuments will disappear in this ghastly dream. And for twenty years…we shall see stretching like a blot of ink the hateful shadow of the hateful column of bolted sheet metal” http://wathappened2dayinhistory.wordpress.com/2014/03/31/march-31st-the-eiffel-tower-is-opened/
“We, writers, painters, sculptors, architects and passionate devotees of the hitherto untouched beauty of Paris, protest with all our strength, with all our indignation in the name of slighted French taste, against the erection…of this useless and monstrous Eiffel Tower…To bring our arguments home, imagine for a moment a giddy, ridiculous tower dominating Paris like a gigantic black smokestack, crushing under its barbaric bulk Notre Dame, the Tour Saint-Jacques, the Louvre, the Dome of les Invalides, the Arc de Triomphe, all of our humiliated monuments will disappear in this ghastly dream. And for twenty years…we shall see stretching like a blot of ink the hateful shadow of the hateful column of bolted sheet metal” http://wathappened2dayinhistory.wordpress.com/2014/03/31/march-31st-the-eiffel-tower-is-opened/
oh man i’m well confused now, one minute you like the eiffel tower, the next you’re citing the ghosts of artists of paris.
the eiffel tower will still be standing when they take the i360 down.
oh man i’m well confused now, one minute you like the eiffel tower, the next you’re citing the ghosts of artists of paris.
the eiffel tower will still be standing when they take the i360 down.
it’s been fun though.
it’s been fun though.
I was attempting to point out that you, and the rest of the world, think the Eiffel Tower’s great *now*, but there are alway people afraid of progress and who are sure everything’s going to be a blight, fail etc.
I was attempting to point out that you, and the rest of the world, think the Eiffel Tower’s great *now*, but there are alway people afraid of progress and who are sure everything’s going to be a blight, fail etc.
no way?
no way?
i’m normally really keen on these sort of initiatives and developments – i even think the plans to demolish the cement works at upper beeding are a mistake – i just don’t get good vibes from such sky puncturing as this in an area i love.
i so so so so want to be proved wrong.
i’m normally really keen on these sort of initiatives and developments – i even think the plans to demolish the cement works at upper beeding are a mistake – i just don’t get good vibes from such sky puncturing as this in an area i love.
i so so so so want to be proved wrong.
And I really hope I’m not (I have been before about this sort of thing – it’s why it’s so hard). Thanks for engaging 🙂
I wanted the ski slope at the cement works!
And I really hope I’m not (I have been before about this sort of thing – it’s why it’s so hard). Thanks for engaging 🙂
I wanted the ski slope at the cement works!