West Pier was constructed during a boom in pleasure pier building in the 1860s, and was designed to attract tourists to Brighton.
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14 Facts About West Pier
2.
The West Pier was extended in 1893, and a concert hall was added in 1916.
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3.
West Pier closed to the public in 1975 and fell into disrepair and gradually collapsed.
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4.
West Pier Trust owns the remains and has proposed various renovation plans.
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5.
West Pier was constructed during a boom in pleasure pier building in the 1860s, during which 22 new piers were erected across Britain.
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6.
The West Pier was favoured by locals, while the Palace Pier was used more by day trippers.
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7.
West Pier suffered structural damage due to the Great Storm of 1987, and access from the shore was removed for safety reasons in 1991.
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8.
The West Pier Trust continued to offer regular tours of the pier throughout the 1990s.
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9.
In 1998, the National Lottery pledged £14 million to restore the pier, but the West Pier Trust was unable to find a suitable partner to help with restoration.
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10.
The owners of the Palace West Pier, who had become financially self-sufficient under their own means, claimed unfair competition.
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11.
West Pier Trust remained adamant that they would soon begin full restoration work.
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12.
The West Pier Trust was hopeful that it could be in place by 2026 in time for the pier's 160th anniversary.
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13.
In 2010, the West Pier was illuminated with 3D mapping lasers as part of a series of artworks by Josef O'Connor to celebrate the Chinese New Year of the Tiger.
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14.
Decline of the pier to its present ruinous state is the subject of the song "The West Pier" which features on the 2009 album, Gypsyhead, by Brighton-born Dogan Mehmet.
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