The owner of Eastbourne Pier, Cuerden Leisure, have thanked the local community for its support and offers of assistance in the wake of a fire that devastated large parts of the landmark structure.
The pier’s general manager, Christos Stylianou, said it was “heartbreaking” to watch as the fire last week “ravaged” the main arcade building. The rest of the pier, however, was saved.
“We owe a huge debt of gratitude to East Sussex’s brave fire fighters and to the RNLI for helping to contain the fire and for saving the Waterfront Bar, Atlantis Nightclub and the many concession units on the deck,” he said. “They worked tirelessly for many hours trying to combat the blaze against the wind fanning the flames further down the pier.”
The people of Eastbourne displayed “true Dunkirk spirit” in pulling together, he said.
“We are now starting a journey to rebuild the damage. Our loss adjusters, engineers, contractors and insurers are all working to open the pier to the general public as soon as is practical, but I’m sure you will appreciate, the safety of all staff and the general public is of paramount importance.”
It is hoped the undamaged portion of the pier will be open to the public in the final quarter of this year.
“Further ahead we will be working closely with the local authority and all its planning departments, including English Heritage, on how we can best replace the destroyed parts of the pier,” Stylianou said. “We look forward to welcoming friends – old and new - back to the pier in the near future.”
