We’re furious after bungling council ‘wasted’ £30MILLION on ‘ridiculous’ 530ft tower – it looks like a massive CHIMNEY
LOCALS have told of their fury after their council wasted £30million on a “ridiculous” 530ft tower that looks like a chimney.
Brighton and Hove City Council loaned £36million towards the building of the Brighton i360 – a 531ft-tall observation tower on the seafront.
The giant i360 on Brighton seafront was opened in August 2016 with city bosses claiming it would become an iconic global landmark attracting millions of tourists to the resort.
But its first 12 months were plagued by mechanical and technical faults which caused the viewing pod to become stuck leaving visitors stranded high in the air.
Falling visitor numbers, bad weather and up to £20 ticket prices left the attraction struggling to pay its debt and then the Covid pandemic struck.
Operators had promised to pay back the loan and pledged the attraction would bring “millions” of tourists into the city.
But last month the failing project announced it had gone into administration – leaving the council with a £32million black hole.
The following week the council launched a consultation asking residents to share their views on how it might save £30million.
It says the council is launching a “budget simulator” so residents will have their say on whether cuts should be made to adult social care, children’s services, housing, leisure and culture, or community services.
Deputy leader Jacob Taylor said: “The new government has provided a significant uplift in local government funding, but the cumulative underfunding of local government over the past 10 years is taking its toll.
“As a council that listens to its residents, we would like as many people as possible, from as many communities as possible, to take part in this budget exercise and share their views.”
The council insisted £30million cuts will have to be found over and above the £30million lost to the i360.
Cllr Taylor’s plea was greeted with outrage and incredulity by many residents with one saying it was like “being hit in the face with a wet fish”.
Commenting online, Nick Edwards said: “I am absolutely stunned. I remember thousands of people objecting to the i360 when plans were first unveiled, especially the cost of it.
“When I heard the councillor asking for ideas to save £30million it was like being hit in the face with a wet fish.
“So in answer to the request for ideas I would say: ‘Listen to your taxpayers, councillor.'”
Janice Reid said: “You simply couldn’t make it up. This council is away with the fairies and they are happy to waste taxpayers’ money on their hare-brained schemes. It’s infuriating.”
Penny Bishop said: “I was gobsmacked when I heard them asking for ideas. Can you believe it?
“I was opposed to it from the start as it seemed like an Alice in Wonderland scheme destined for failure.
“Who wants to travel 183 metres into the air to look at a Georgian seaside resort whose splendid architecture is best seen from the ground. The alternate view was the sea – not exactly riveting.”
Former Tory councillor Dawn Barnett said the i360 was “never going to work”.
Ms Barnett, who was one of a small group of Conservative councillors who did not vote for the i360, said: “I have never gone on the i360. It was never going to work.
I was opposed to it from the start as it seemed like an Alice in Wonderland scheme destined for failure.
Penny Bishop
“People coming down from London with two or three kids couldn’t afford to spend some money on it.”
Paul Betts said: “It was ill-conceived and frivolous but I think the council just got carried away.
“There needs to be more checks and balances on the use of public money. There needs to be more scrutiny and more accountability.”
Britain's 'most expensive seaside town' set to hike parking charges AGAIN
By Jacob Jaffa
BRITAIN’S “most expensive seaside town” has hiked its parking charges again.
The popular holiday destination was already more than £10 more expensive than the next priciest coastal spot.
Despite this, Brighton and Hove Council has agreed a new annual budget that saw the cost of a parking space rise by an average of 6% across the two towns.
The changes affected both on-street and off-street public parking throughout one of the UK’s favourite staycation areas.
The new rates were brought in from April 22 this year and can be viewed through the PayByPhone parking app which is used for bays managed by the council.
Any profit generated from the increase will be reinvested back into programmes across infrastructure improvement, road safety and the environment, as is required by law.
However it was dubbed an “i-sore” by thousands of residents who objected to the plans and petitioned the council to think again.
Despite concerns over its design and cost, the “metal spike with a doughnut attached” was given the go ahead.
Sponsored by British Airways, the 531ft-tall attraction with a futuristic viewing pod was designed to carry 200 people above the city.
Set opposite the derelict West Pier it gives a panoramic view of the seaside resort and the English Channel.
Designed, engineered and manufactured by the team responsible for the London Eye, it was largely financed by a huge loan taken out by the council.
It was estimated that 823,000 visitors would come in the first year, 802,000 in the second, 780,000 in the third and 690,000 in the year after.
In the end only 503,000 came in the first year, 344,000 in the second with figures averaging around 268,000 after Covid.
The council will now have to pay £2.2million every year until 2041 to repay the colossal debt – a cost of around £200 per council taxpayer.
At present the i360 is still operating and investors will be sought in a bid to try to sell the seafront attraction.