Yahoo News Brighton Palace Pier introduces entry fee
One of the city’s most popular landmarks will soon have an entry fee.
Brighton Palace Pier today announced a £1 admission fee to enter the pier will come into effect at the end of this month.
The admission fee will not apply to nearby residents (who have a Brighton Palace Pier local residents card) or children under the age of two.
It will be in place during peak trading periods in the summer beginning on May 25 and then cover the weekends during June and the full months of July and August.
This year marks the Pier’s 125th anniversary and the costs of supporting the structure have risen substantially.
In the last five years, the cost of maintaining, repairing and operating Brighton Palace Pier has increased 31 per cent, an additional £2.7 million, taking the overall annual cost to £11.6 million.
The admission fee will be critical in helping to meet the unique challenges and costs of preserving the pier’s structural integrity and fabric as well as continuing to remain open all year-round, the Brighton Pier Group (BPG), which runs Brighton Palace Pier said.
The pier attracts tourists from all over the world and these visitors also contribute significant revenue to the city as a whole, the BPG added.
All residents who have a Brighton Palace Pier local residents card will continue to be admitted for free.
To apply for a card, those who live in a BN postcode area will need to visit the Brighton Palace Pier website and follow the instructions in this link: https://www.brightonpier.co.uk/
Known as the Queen of all Victorian piers, Brighton Palace Pier was established in 1889 and is a Grade II* listed landmark.
Anne Ackord, CEO of Brighton Palace Pier, said: “We see ourselves as the custodians of the Pier. Many of our team, including myself live and work in Brighton and we understand first-hand the importance of the pier within our city.
"The Pier is a substantial structure and in recent years, the costs associated with maintaining and operating it to the same high levels of upkeep, strength and structural integrity, have increased significantly.
"We have, to date, been able to offset and absorb these costs but we have now reached the point where, in our view, it is sensible to implement a small admission charge for visitors to the Pier from outside the local area. The admission fee will be an important contributor to ensuring that our iconic Pier is with us for generations to come.”
