Hastings Pier

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ColinL
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Hastings Pier

Postby ColinL » Tue Oct 31, 2017 10:36 pm

Congratulations to the town on the Stirling prize for the pier.
I have yet to see the finished object.
Now for ideas for Bottle Alley?

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Richard
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Re: Hastings Pier

Postby Richard » Wed Nov 01, 2017 5:52 pm

Yes! but a prize for its architectural purity, clean clinical lines and bare open spaces misses the point, surely?
It has nothing much on it to draw in the tourists and that is what will bring money into town.
People will say that there is no money left but if businesses are invited to fund/build activities for kids and imaginitive schemes, then people will come and spend money.
Perhaps things will change but I don't see the point of intellectual admiration for a sterile structure although I have to admit it a pretty impressive 'white elephant'.

Weston Supermare Pier:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/artic ... ation.html

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ColinL
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Re: Hastings Pier

Postby ColinL » Fri Nov 03, 2017 4:28 pm

Weston pier looks great - but they did have £39 to spend.

It appears that the idea of the long blank space is that it can be used for a variety of purposes rather than things limited to the indoor space.

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Richard
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Re: Hastings Pier

Postby Richard » Thu Nov 09, 2017 9:11 pm

The potential is good for the pier if a businesses can be tempted to occupy a pre-built unit, much like Priory meadow, where the Mall owners are keen to attract successful high-street big-name shops to their pre-built units, long term, in order to obtain a healthy rental income.
No big business is currently prepared to come into an empty space on the pier and build/fund a unit, or units, which will attract rental income from multiple retail businesses.
Any big business would need to secure funding and this would not be forthcoming unless rigorous business plans convinced the lender that their capital outlay could be repaid on the terms offered.
If a blank space, that can be used for a variety of purposes, is applied to Priory meadow shopping Mall, we see that retail units come and go and, for sure, this leads to variety, but I suspect that the owners would rather not have a series of shops coming and going all the time as this naturally leads to gaps in their rental incomes, they prefer stable income.
Permanent big-name businesses (attractions) would likewise be better for the pier too, so there is a contradiction at play here.
To be fair to the pier directors they have created the space but they need to attract business plans and we have seen how often great plans come to nought in Hastings which is basically a working class holiday town, day-trippers and local inhabitants are not particularly wealthy and want simple pleasures, nothing wrong with that at all but what will attract them to the pier, certainly not a visitor's centre as it currently stands.
I see too many parallels with the Jerwood, the locals are not impressed by what is on offer.
I am still hopeful, of course, the possibilities for a more profitable pier are wide open.

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roy
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Re: Hastings Pier

Postby roy » Thu Nov 16, 2017 10:07 pm

The Pier is losing money and its not hard to see why,you cant run a pier on the occasional pop concert or show,its needs much more.

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seahermit
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Re: Hastings Pier

Postby seahermit » Fri Nov 17, 2017 9:31 pm

What mad people awarded a prize for Hastings Pier? From the modern architectural community surely.

An expanse of bare boards with a strangely shaped scout hut in the middle doesn't constitute a fine piece of architecture. Nor a complete absence of a large and comfortable space for shows, concerts, trade fairs, exhibitions etc. during good weather and bad. They will learn the hard way, when the punters don't come near with their wallets!

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Richard
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Re: Hastings Pier

Postby Richard » Sat Nov 18, 2017 11:47 am

Yes! very much 'Emperor's new clothes' to the rest of us
The old rusting iron framework structure below the pier is much the same, apart from some new reinforcement struts to support the double-decker cabin which is clad in recycled boards from the old decking.
I see no permanent entertainment features for both adults and kids.
Most of the deck is a very exposed bare plank out to sea and whilst it's fine for a walk on a sunny day, with good views, it has little seating and soon becomes boring.

Can we assume that because reinforcement was needed below-deck, for the curious cabin, that the old structure will not bear anything much being built upon it anywhere else?

However, It is a masive improvement on the eyesore mess that went before in recent years.

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seahermit
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Re: Hastings Pier

Postby seahermit » Thu Nov 30, 2017 2:28 am

The pier has been put into administration, as I am sure people have heard. Not making the income needed to keep it going in the long term.

Well, of course I won't say "Told you so ..!" But it is obvious that, if no business plan was in place to mount a series of events during summer and winter to bring the crowds in (nor any properly-built structure to shelter those crowds from the elements), the whole project has little chance of succeeding financially, without further handouts from lottery funds or private appeals.

Re: Richard's comment about the substructure, there should be no doubts about the iron framework having the strength to support a substantial building up above. The Victorian framework supported different two-storey buildings for over a hundred years, and inspections in the last few years revealed that the substructure was largely undamaged by the passage of time or by weather.

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Richard
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Re: Hastings Pier

Postby Richard » Thu Nov 30, 2017 12:10 pm

The Board of directors have stepped down.
Has Hastings spent too much time in recent years promoting cost-free (to the council) venues for arts and culture.
On the old Pier were there many attractions to draw in the ordinary working class people, it is they who spend the money, they who outnumber the arty types that the council are trying to encourage.
Remember Hastings is basically a working-class, short stay/day-tripper, holiday town.
Although the Turner gallery at Margate has produced a massive boost to tourism the Jerwood in Hastings has not, admission is not free, (except on the first Tuesday of every month between 4pm - 8pm.) it doesn't feature permanently, a national well-known famous British Artist.
Like the Jerwood, the Pier is sterile and not worth more than the odd visit.

Allow the Angling Club to organise fishing along the pier 7/24.
Charge a small entrance fee.
Install a row of gambling/slot-machines/Casino.
Small free rides for kids, even a simple playground with swings, rotating discs.
A train to run old people to the attractions and back.

This all costs money but something very simple and crowd-pulling would cost very little and draw the money in for the time being.
Last edited by Richard on Thu Nov 30, 2017 12:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Richard
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Re: Hastings Pier

Postby Richard » Thu Nov 30, 2017 12:22 pm

"Re: Richard's comment about the substructure, there should be no doubts about the iron framework having the strength to support a substantial building up above. The Victorian framework supported different two-storey buildings for over a hundred years, and inspections in the last few years revealed that the substructure was largely undamaged by the passage of time or by weather."

The art-deco Ballroom installed in the 1930's needed additional support in the sub-structure after it started sudsiding.
The mid-section of the current structure required special additional struts to be welded below, by barge and cranes, to support the new 2-tier cabin.
The framework below is monitored monthly and any extra heavy buildings on top may well be impossible as the Victorian piles are just not strong enough to support anything substantial.
A lot of truss-steels had to be fixed on the top deck and sides as the old ones had corroded away and the new planking is hugely heavy African/S.American hardwood, much heavier than the old decking now recycled and used to clad the cabin on top.
So, I don't entirely agree that you can just chuck buildings on top without due care and attention.


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