Riding the storm! Pier operators inevitably face some unique challenges
compared to land based attractions and venues, not least that of maintaining the structures they own which of course face constant attack from the sea water around them, as well as the harsh weather coastal locations often endure. “The elements are potentially harsh and unforgiving,”
says Hall, “and there is a higher risk of unforeseen damage and things happening that are out of our control (due to the weather). A positive spin on this, however, is that this is what makes us unique. The local council, which owns Cromer pier, is about to invest £1.4m in an overhaul of the structure under the decking. The pier is proving successful even in a recession, hence the investment.” “Maintenance and upkeep are the main challenges
unique to piers,” comments Bollom. “They are man-made structures built in the sea so face salt water, tides twice a day, winter storms and more. They are a maintenance headache which has been exacerbated lately with all the health and safety regulations we must adhere to. We have to build up scaffolding from the beach now to carry out work rather than roping down from the top, for example, which costs a fortune to do. The impact on maintenance budgets is enormous. “The decking and timber now has to come from
renewable sources, but doesn’t last as long (as what was previously used), while the old lead paint we used was the best for the job, but of course we can’t use that any more either. We’re trying to find materials that last so are testing different things like plastic decking to see how it performs and lasts. If we get all our development plans through we would do a replacement of the pier structure which would be done very differently to the original using modern processes. The piles on Mumbles Pier are the original ones from the 1890s but everything above them would be brand new.” Kerry Michael naturally agrees that maintenance is the
biggest issue due to the exposed position of piers, but also cites other practical problems such as weight restrictions on the structure and working within a confined space. Such things impact on aspects like room for storing waste, the requirement for daily deliveries, not being able to run delivery vehicles along the pier and others. Mitchell too adds that although the structures throw
up major maintenance issues the uniqueness of piers and their situation is an attraction in itself, while Strong points to insurance as another major item. Martin adds that listed building status imposes its own restraints.
42 InterPark May-June 2011 “Like us, you have to invest in preserving the integrity of
the buildings and sub structure and this is hugely costly,” she states. With piers being such traditional structures one could be
forgiven for assuming that patrons are mostly those who simply want to take a walk along them, so older visitors happy to promenade or sit for a while to take in the views. But that’s far from the case on the majority of piers, there being something for everyone on most, be it modern amusement rides and machines, live entertainment, function rooms and more.
“Yes, there are different buyers depending on what’s on
a pier,” observes Hall. “Some piers are a bit different to us. We have lots of events here and a theatre as opposed to amusements and corporate events. We have a bias towards particular groups. Our summer variety show, for example, is more for a younger to middle aged audience but has bits for older guests too. We have a musical show for youngsters as well, aimed at them specifically with more up to date music. “We have a very wide audience and look to help people
understand there is more for younger guests than they might think.” And Scott agrees that piers in general still attract a wide
age range.
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