{"id":182467,"date":"2023-12-17T15:44:51","date_gmt":"2023-12-17T15:44:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotworldreport.com\/?p=182467"},"modified":"2023-12-17T15:44:51","modified_gmt":"2023-12-17T15:44:51","slug":"iconic-seaside-destination-could-be-forced-to-close-as-council-faces-200k-loss-and-visitor-numbers-plummet-the-sun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotworldreport.com\/travel\/iconic-seaside-destination-could-be-forced-to-close-as-council-faces-200k-loss-and-visitor-numbers-plummet-the-sun\/","title":{"rendered":"Iconic seaside destination could be forced to close as council faces \u00a3200k loss and visitor numbers plummet | The Sun"},"content":{"rendered":"
AN iconic seaside destination is under threat as the local council faces a \u00a3200,000 loss.<\/p>\n
Southend Pier could be forced to close if Southend-on-Sea City Council goes bust.<\/p>\n
\n<\/p>\n
The council may have to declare itself bankrupt if it fails to get on top of its \u00a310.7million budget deficit.<\/p>\n
Councillor Jamie Moyies said: "We are trying to avoid what could happen, in the short to medium term, with a s114 bankruptcy notice.<\/p>\n
"If that happened the pier would be closed and many other services that we don\u2019t need to do as a council would just stop.<\/p>\n
"We\u2019re trying to avoid that dreadful situation that we are heading towards. <\/p>\n
"With a positive attitude from the whole council to get by these ideas we\u2019ve have got a good opportunity to achieve that."<\/p>\n Stretching 1.34 miles into the Thames Estuary, Southend Pier is the longest in the world.<\/p>\n The Grade-II listed pier was built in 1889 – with poet Sir John Betjeman writing that "the Pier is Southend, Southend is the pier".<\/p>\n But visitor numbers have plummeted from an annual high of 6million in Southend's postwar heyday.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n The ageing pier has been stricken by at least four fires over the years, and upkeep is punishingly expensive.<\/p>\n Councillor Derek Jarvis said that the pier made a \u00a3190,000 loss last year.<\/p>\n He told a special cabinet meeting: "The pier and foreshore team are working on things to make improvements straight away to get income.<\/p>\n "The word procurement means procuring resources to make money rather than just nearly breaking even. <\/p>\n "There was a loss of \u00a3190,000 last year but I\u2019ve been very impressed with what I\u2019ve seen.<\/p>\n "I wanted to make sure the word procurement didn\u2019t mean selling off the pier. <\/p>\n "It means getting operators on there who are professional and will work with us to make money for us this year and in the longer term make a lot more money."<\/p>\n In a bid to save the pier, the council is now bringing forward a 10 per cent rise in fees and charges from April to January 1.<\/p>\n<\/picture>SNOW WAY! <\/span><\/p>\n
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