[Brighton] i360 filing for administration

[BevBHA]

"How can any Brightonian NOT be excited by this? We are watching the construction of an iconic landmark in our city which will be enjoyed by millions of people over generations - decades, maybe even centuries."

Jesus. That’s Paul Merson levels of bad prediction

 

[Fignon's Ponytail]

I've got just as good a view of the local area from my place on the clifftops at Telscombe....why pay for it? Never been tempted to go up the i360.

Biggest waste of money since Chris O'Grady.

 

[portslade seagull]

Just a waste of taxpayers money. It's not something that people would return to like the pier or theme park. It needed more attractions to keep punters interested

 

[Han Solo]

Tear it down so I don't have to pretend to want to ride it when I come and visit. Monuments that scream "you're a tourist, give me all your money" are rarely as successful as cities and countries hope.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Just a waste of taxpayers money. It's not something that people would return to like the pier or theme park. It needed more attractions to keep punters interested

Sadly many of my friends and family members that come to visit want to go up on it. Which always sort of obliges me to shell out for a couple of tickets for the damn thing. It's cost me a bloody fortune over the years

 

[Albion my Albion]

half of the view from the i360 aren't 'just' the sea. I could look at the sea all day.

This should keep you busy during Chrimbo shopping season.

 

[Han Solo]

I would also like to say that as far as I'm concerned, half of the view from the i360 aren't 'just' the sea. I could look at the sea all day.

Same. I just don't want to.

 

[Austrian Gull]

The Spinnaker tower is actually pretty good. I've been up it once, and if I ever have to go back to Portsmouth again I shall go again. The view is more interesting. Ok, Portsmouth itself is not a patch on Brighton to look at, no one's denying that, but there's the harbour and all the maritime traffic. It's more of a '360' view than Brighton's tower with more going on.

What the Spinnaker Tower also has going for it also is its location (**) - outlet shopping on the doorstep plus restaurants, bars and cinema. It's also very close to the train station. It's just a bit of a trek on a bad weather day to get to the i360 and I agree with all of those who commented that it's a one time only attraction.

**Apart from the negative that is being in Portsmouth itself!

 

[osgood]

Most expensive donut on a pole ever. To think we could potentially be left to service this debt for generations is taking the piss. If they wanted to give visitors an experience and show off Brighton, then perhaps they should of prioritised the basics first. IMO caring and preserving our historic seafront is what was needed, not building a pole to oversee its decay from above. It's sad seeing Brighton's promenade in its current state. Rusty railings that'll give you tetanus, broken seating areas, heritage seafront lighting removed for safety reasons....could go on! Rant over.

Agreed , and money couldve been put aside for subsidising car parking for visitors !

 

[osgood]

Who pays back the loan….. ?

Brighton and Hove council tax payers !

 

[birthofanorange]

Should it actually come to the point where it's to be demolished, I'm sure that'll cost a fair old whack and who is going to be liable for the costs involved in such an exercise?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Some right miserable ****s on here. I like it and in the right hands it can be a success.

 

[Brovion]

Some right miserable ****s on here. I like it and in the right hands it can be a success.

Get it right: Angry, miserable ****s.

And from reading the original thread I see you were one of the main supporters of it originally and thought it would be a huge success. It's usual when old threads are bounced/referenced that posters who were horrifically wrong either hold up their hands and say "Yeah I said so-an-so-at the beginning but I'll admit I was wrong", or they maintain a diplomatic silence. You seem to be 'doing a dwayne' and doubling down.

I was always opposed, partly for the reasons I said earlier (great idea but totally wrong for a small seaside town like Brighton), but also as someone who loved the West Pier as a boy, and had donated to the West Pier Trust, I was always wanted to see it restored/rebuilt in all its original Eugenius Birch glory. Even after it had been burnt I clung to the hope that someone would find the tens of millions needed to do it, but by plumping for the i360 they finally killed all hope of that. That was a sad day.

However, rather like having a Tory government, once the decision was made I really wanted it to be a success as we would benefit hugely from that. And failure would hurt us. And so here we are. I'm angry at the financial situation, and angry at the people who thought a doughnut on a pole would be better than a pier. You were wrong.

But yeah, maybe Merlin Entertainments might be interested in it. They own places like Madame Tussauds and Chessington World of Adventures, they run Thorpe Park, and probably more relevant, they run Blackpool Tower (the tower itself is owned by Blackpool Council). Other than Disney I can't think of anyone else who would want to take it on. So there's hope yet, the situation might still be rescued and the i360 can be the success we all wanted it to be. However a bit of humility at this time from it's original supporters wouldn't go amiss.

 

[goldstone]

and the i360 can be the success we all wanted it to be.

Sorry, but We ALL didn't want it to be a success. Ugly bloody thing really is an eyesore.

 

[Brovion]

Sorry, but We ALL didn't want it to be a success. Ugly bloody thing really is an eyesore.

Fair enough, despite my opposition the one thing where I do agree with its supporters is that I think it is actually quite stylish. I'm not one who thinks that Brighton and Hove should be preserved in aspic. But I accept that aesthetically it is a personal choice.

Still doesn't detract from the fact though that it's Brighton's equivalent of Springfield's 'Escalator to nowhere' ...

 

[Man of Harveys]

As many have pointed out, it’s something you might go on once (I’ve actually been twice because a mate gave me a free ticket). But a rebuilt West Pier would be something you’d go on every time you go for a walk around there and you’d spend money on it. Plus they could have weddings, gigs, restaurants, bars etc.

I mean even the consequences of not having a khazi up there don’t seem to have been taking into consideration at any point. So stupid, right from the off.

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

Get it right: Angry, miserable ****s.

And from reading the original thread I see you were one of the main supporters of it originally and thought it would be a huge success. It's usual when old threads are bounced/referenced that posters who were horrifically wrong either hold up their hands and say "Yeah I said so-an-so-at the beginning but I'll admit I was wrong", or they maintain a diplomatic silence. You seem to be 'doing a dwayne' and doubling down.

I was always opposed, partly for the reasons I said earlier (great idea but totally wrong for a small seaside town like Brighton), but also as someone who loved the West Pier as a boy, and had donated to the West Pier Trust, I was always wanted to see it restored/rebuilt in all its original Eugenius Birch glory. Even after it had been burnt I clung to the hope that someone would find the tens of millions needed to do it, but by plumping for the i360 they finally killed all hope of that. That was a sad day.

However, rather like having a Tory government, once the decision was made I really wanted it to be a success as we would benefit hugely from that. And failure would hurt us. And so here we are. I'm angry at the financial situation, and angry at the people who thought a doughnut on a pole would be better than a pier. You were wrong.

But yeah, maybe Merlin Entertainments might be interested in it. They own places like Madame Tussauds and Chessington World of Adventures, they run Thorpe Park, and probably more relevant, they run Blackpool Tower (the tower itself is owned by Blackpool Council). Other than Disney I can't think of anyone else who would want to take it on. So there's hope yet, the situation might still be rescued and the i360 can be the success we all wanted it to be. However a bit of humility at this time from it's original supporters wouldn't go amiss.

The comparison with Blackpool Tower does suggest that it's entirely possible for an observation tower in a (significantly smaller) seaside town to be successful.

I don't know how they actually make their money mind, I gather there's a load of other stuff around the bottom of it. Maybe it's kept going purely by the BBC's Blackpool special on Strictly Come Dancing.

Edit: as an aside, like everybody else I've been up the i360 once about 8years ago, didn't think much of the view and have never had any desire to return to it.

 

[Eeyore]

Some right miserable ****s on here. I like it and in the right hands it can be a success.

I don't believe it can. It has poor positioning and, if you did fancy it, you would only go up there once. I used to work in Tower Point, so I enjoyed great views across town for 16 years.

 

[Lenny Rider]

Was lucky to go up fairly early on when BA were involved, depending on which way you were stood, on your left is the sea and on the your right you can just see Whitehawk if you crick your neck!

Its a shame that we will never get to know the individuals who sanctioned the loans for this, to think what you could do in the city in the next 12 months and beyond with £50million?