BOGNOR Pier will NOT benefit from a £5million injection of lottery money to help with a regeneration of the Grade II listed landmark.
Bognor Pier Trust has announced that following a meeting with representatives of Bognor Pier Leisure Ltd (BPLL), John Ayers revealed BPLL are not able to support the Trust in its bid for lottery funding for the pier.
Support from the pier owner is a key requirement for submitting a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Bognor Pier Trust Chairman Paul Wells said:
“The Trust are clearly disappointed with the news that we will not be able to proceed with the lottery bid, extensive work has been undertaken to get us to this point but we have to respect the owner’s decision not to proceed with the project.”
“I’m extremely grateful to the Friends of the Pier, the local community and local businesses who have shown tremendous community support in promoting the project and assisting the Trust in its aims.”
Bognor Pier Trust was formed in September 2013 to investigate with the present owner the possibilities of securing funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund to secure the pier’s future.
The Trust says it has secured external funding to carry out the necessary work to formulate a bid.
During the process the Trust says it has worked closely with the owners, Bognor Pier Leisure Ltd, who have been supportive of the Trust’s aims and gave the Trust space on the pier to support and promote the project.
John Ayres, joint pier owner, said:
“Bognor Pier Leisure Ltd have worked with the Trust and we are extremely grateful for the extensive and professional approach the Trust has taken in preparation towards submitting a bid, at this time and following the results of the work that needed to be carried out we are unable to proceed as a company with the support for the bid.”