Clevedon Pier.

‘Chalk and cheese’ pier v Tropicana?

Bethan Evans, Reporter Saturday, July 7, 2012
1:00 PM

SENIOR North Somerset councillors say the authority has given Clevedon Pier more than £650,000 because, as the owner, it has ‘a duty to maintain it’ but refuses to restore Weston’s Tropicana.

Views of the Tropicana building.

Executive members voted at their last meeting to provide the listed landmark with £657,601 for maintenance works.

When challenged by councillors at the meeting on why money could be provided for the repair of the pier, but not the former pool on Weston seafront which it also owns, members explained the council could face legal action if it was not repaired.

Clevedon Pier is also under the care of the Clevedon Pier Trust Ltd but as it has no policy to support the structure, if the trust surrenders the lease, the council would be forced to take on the responsibility.

Executive member Jeremy Blatchford said: “The Tropicana is not a listed building. All advice to the council is that the Tropicana is not viable without massive subsidy.

“If Clevedon Pier were not repaired the council would face legal action because it is the owner and therefore has a duty to maintain the pier. If the council were not the owner the funding would not be there.”

During the council’s discussion over granting the pier with thousands of pounds, Weston councillor Mike Bell said: “We all want to support the trust as much as we can and our hands are tied in reality anyway.

“It does not sit very comfortably with me when the council does not find any money for the redevelopment for the Trop.

“It’s one rule for them and another for us.”

Deputy leader Elfan Ap Rees said: “Chalk and cheese comes to mind. One is a beautiful elegant structure in good condition that is the key feature on Clevedon seafront.

“The other is a rundown derelict structure that ruins the sweeping vista of Weston seafront and which can only be brought back to life if a benefactor comes forward with a gift of several million ponds to donate with no strings for the good of the town.”

8 comments

Vote these buffoons out and start looking after wsm, The power shift of control is not at wsm it's Northern Somerset , Portishead, Backwell, Clevedon and surrounding villages. Weston is finished.

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slips

Monday, July 9, 2012
Are we as Weston people missing something, we all want the Tropicana to be preserved , the councillors cant wait to see it demolished, doesn't make any sense what happened to the whole Victorian theme and preserving land mark buildings that Weston people loved.

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andreas macrides

Sunday, July 8, 2012
I'm a Westonian and I'm delighted that this money has been allocated to Clevedon pier. To make any comparison with the Tropicana is absurd.

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2Phat

Saturday, July 7, 2012
My original comments were rejected by the censors but they were along the lines of truewestonians. The reason the trop is a derelict and rundown structure is due to north Somerset council not maintaining it for over a decade plus allowing it to be used as a dump by the sea wall contractors, this is wilful neglect! Anyway good luck to clevedon

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Ricki Burrows

Saturday, July 7, 2012
Great news for the historic pier at Clevedon.

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Weston2010

Saturday, July 7, 2012
Any one know the retirement age for councillors? If it is the same for us minions then one has gone beyond the sell by date by a few years

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Neptune

Saturday, July 7, 2012
How many Westonians are happy for their council tax to be going towards Clevedon Pier then?

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TrueWestonian

Saturday, July 7, 2012
This just stinks of deriliction of duty towards the Trop. Another case of the councils leaders from the North section having TOO much influence. Agreed, Clevedon Pier is well admired and valuable tourist location but the lame excuses offered as to the 'Chalk & Cheese' in respect to the Trop is twaddle and once again 'Slippery Elf' and the likes of Ashton have themselves to blame for the current condition of the Trop, thus being so eager in wanting to remove it. The situation is a disgrace and THEY need to be bought to account for it.

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TrueWestonian

Saturday, July 7, 2012