Recommendation to east sussex county council regarding the renovation of sea side report samples

Introduction

Sea side piers are common architectural structures in Britain. In fact, Britain boasts sixty one piers along its coastline. Most of these piers have long standing histories as many were constructed in the nineteenth century. Most of them have at one point been brought to near ruin by forces of nature such as storms in the sea. Given the significance they hold and the relatively expensive cost of reconstruction, local authorities under whose jurisdiction these piers fall will always have difficulties determining whether or not to invest the limited resources in their reconstruction. Two of the most iconic piers in Britain include the Brighton piers and the piers in Eastbourne.
As has already been highlighted, these piers have also felt the effect of both natural and manmade effects. For instance, the Eastbourne pier was engulfed in an inferno in 2014. The structure was significantly destroyed in the fire. The Brighton pier was also victim to the forces of nature, with part of the pier destroyed by a ferocious storm at sea in 2014. The reconstruction of these sea side development projects is one of the decisions that East Sussex County Council need to make. This report analyzes the Brighton pier and the Eastbourne pier on the basis of parameters such as the cultural significance, business viability and social impact of the two piers with the aim of making a recommendation on the best project for reconstruction.

Analysis of the Eastbourne Pier

Business viability
Before making any financial investments in a project, it is important to determine the ability of the project to return on the investment. The Eastbourne pier is viable from a business perspective. Eastbourne is a very active tourist destination for both locals and visitors from without. Additionally, there are more than thirty eight tourist attraction sites in Eastbourne. Given the reputation of the pier as a heritage site, it is expected to benefit from the increase tourist activity in Eastbourne. According to East Sussex County Council (2008), Eastbourne hosted over 39 million visitor days in 2003. Additionally, Eastbourne pier has diverse revenue generating avenues. For instance, the area adjacent the pier has numerous investments that diversify the income of the project. This means that even when tourism is low, the other investments help bring in revenue to the project (The Heritage Trail, 2014).

Social Impact

The Eastbourne pier has a lot social significance to then locality. As identified earlier, Eastbourne is a tourist hub. The presence of Eastbourne pier is important in this tourist circuit as one of the attraction sites. As a result there is an increase in the social activities in Eastbourne. The significance of the Eastbourne pier is seen in the increased investment in the region owing to the increase in social activity. This is fodder for the local businesses that rely in the human traffic that the pier attracts. Besides, the pier allows the local residents and also visitors to enjoy some of the recreational facilities on offer. According to Heritage Trail (2014), the theater and pavilion that is constructed in the space adjacent to the Eastbourne pier plays host to many social events.

Cultural Significance

As highlighted earlier in the report, there are sixty one piers remaining in Britain (Gover 2014). The fact that Eastbourne pier is one of them give it’s a lot of cultural significance. Since its construction in 1866, the Eastbourne pier has passed history from one generation to the next. Although it has been modernized after the damages, The Heritage Trail (2014) argues that the Eastbourne pier still holds the Edwardian splendor, speaking of the era in which it was constructed.

Analysis of the Brighton Pier

Business Viability
As highlighted earlier, the Brighton pier has at one point damaged in a sea storm. Prior to its reconstruction, the local authorities commissioned Deloitte to perform a feasibility study on the economic viability of the project. In the report developed by Deloitte after the feasibility study, they reported that under the current conditions, Brighton pier was not economically viable. The reasons cited by the consulting company were that it would require significant capital investments in order to restore the pier. Additionally, it would require another significant financial investment in order to maintain the pier after its reconstruction (European Commission, 2012).
Additionally, plans were made to in order to renovate the Brighton pier because it was a heritage site. The cost estimates of this project were projected at 22. 8 million pounds. This shows that the reconstruction of the Brighton pier would require significant outlay from the East Sussex County Council. Deloitte consulting company also cited the need for continued public financial support for the operation of the pier. This is because the revenue generated by the pier is insufficient to meet the operational costs of the pier. This also implies that the operation of the pier after reconstruction may not be sufficient to break even after the significant investments in its reconstruction (European Commission, 2012).
The business viability of Brighton pier is also affected by other factors. Unlike the Eastbourne pier that developments on the space adjacent to the pier, thereby diversifying its revenue streams, the Brighton pier was constructed on a limited space. This means that the pier cannot be extended without changing its heritage value. Additionally, the entrance fees charged are insufficient to fund the operations of the pier. The business viability of the Brighton pier would require other investments such as the ones in Eastbourne pier. However, space is a limiting factor, hence impeding the viability of the pier from an economic standpoint (European Commission, 2012).

Cultural Significance

Heritage sites are graded differently in terms of their significance in the United Kingdom. Based on this classification, Brighton pier has a lot of cultural significance, both to the local community of Brighton and Hove and the entire country. According to Harris (2007), Brighton pier is categorized as a Grade 1heritage site because of the cultural value that it holds. Of all the sixty one piers in the United Kingdom, Brighton pier is the only Grade 1 pier. This sets the pier aside from the other piers. This grading shows the cultural significance of the pier, when compared to the other piers in the country. According to the European Commission (2012), this grading recognizes the engineering, architecture and the aesthetic value of the pier as important aspects of the national heritage.
Social Impact
Since its construction, the Brighton pier has been part of the community around Brighton and Hove. The presence of this pier allowed the local community members to take walks over the sea on top of the platform. This has a social significance to the members of the community. For instance, the pier serves as a tourist attraction site. Since the days of the aristocratic visitors, people flock Brighton in order to witness this pier.

Recommendations and conclusion

The analysis of the two sea side construction projects based on the business viability, cultural significance and social impact makes several distinctions upon which the recommendation to East Sussex County Council is based. It is evident that both projects have a cultural significance owing to the extensive history that they bear. Going by this parameter, the East Sussex County Council should invest in the reconstruction of the two seas side projects. However, the limited nature of the resources does not allow the county to invest in the reconstruction of the two projects. In terms of social impact, the two projects are integral to the social aspects of the surrounding communities.
However, the distinction between the two seaside projects is that while the Eastbourne pier is economically viable, the Brighton pier is not viable in its current state. From an economic perspective, East Sussex County Council should invest in the reconstruction of the Eastbourne pier. However, it is important to consider that Brighton pier is a Grade 1 pier, and the only of its kind in the entire country. As such, it is important to store the cultural heritage of this pier for posterity. With regards to the economic viability of the pier, the East Sussex County Council should acquire the land adjacent to the pier in order to develop it with income generating projects that can supplement the revenue from the pier without altering its aesthetics and by extension its heritage. This report recommends that East Sussex County Council invests in the reconstruction of Brighton.

References

East Sussex county Council. (2008). Eastbourne – Hailsham Triangle Towards a Master Plan: Economic Strategy & Spatial Scenarios. Retrieved 28 Nov. 2014 from www. wealden. gov. uk%2Fnmsruntime%2Fsaveasdialog. aspx%3FlID%3D8862%26sID%3D2838&ei= mkB4VPmQF4uu7gbTtYGYAw&usg= AFQjCNEgP5dMoRRYKVzpIp6DaPFjgVwuIA&sig2= 9EuSQqQ4SwTcqLi19yD_ZA
European Commission (2012). Aids N 560/01 and NN 17/02 – United Kingdom Brighton West Pier. European Commission. Retrieved 28 Nov. 2014 from www. ec. europa. eu/eu_law/ state_aids/comp-2001/n560-01. pdf
Gover, D. (2014). Eastbourne pier reopens just two months after fire gutted seaside landmark. Retrieved 25 Nov. 2014 from http://www. ibtimes. co. uk/eastbourne-pier-reopens-just-two-months-after-fire-gutted-seaside-landmark-1466549
Harris, R. (2007). Brighton & Hove Historic Character Assessment Report. Retrieved 28 Nov. 2014 from http://www. brighton-hove. gov. uk/sites/brighton-hove. gov. uk/files/SP030%20Historic%20Character%20Assessment%20Report%202007. pdf
The Heritage Trail (2014). Eastbourne Pier, East Sussex. Web. 28 Nov. 2014 from http://www. theheritagetrail. co. uk/piers/eastbourne%20pier. htm