Theskeat Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 It looks like the Ramsey pier will have to be saved or dropped, its been revealed in Tynwald the Government departments have to abide by the same rules as the general public. In the past if a Government department thinks your property is in a poor state they can make you do the place up or do it up for you and send you the bill, this is now the case with Ramsey pier. Good news for some. For once the Government have been caught out by its own rules Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontiuspilot Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 cut it up and sell it for scrap, it will never make a return on any money spent on it. it was from a bygone age, lets not preserve things (i.e. let em just rust into an eyesore) for the sake of it. i'm all for heritage, but the peir is just a rusty old hulk. it would cost more to repair than it's worth we now find out. this is the only option Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PNP Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 I know a lot of people wamt to see the pier saved, but having only been on the Island 5 years, I don't really see why. Even if it was fixed up at a cost of millions, I can't see that it would be much of tourist attraction anyway. Nice for the locals I guess, suppose you could do a spot of fishing, but not sure that the cost would really be justified. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conceptor Hewitt Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 it was from a bygone age, lets not preserve things (i.e. let em just rust into an eyesore) for the sake of it. Well on that thinking we should get rid of the trams, trains, Strand St. (we have Tesco's) Peel Castle, Tower of Refuge, Castle Rushen, the old fashioned Gaeity and remodel them in plastic to exhibit in the house of Manannan. Oh, and while we're at it lets get rid of Snaefell, 'cos that's in the way. Build apartments on all the new space, spend the money on the health service and when everybody is fit and healthy we can all sit on our balconies and admire the er.. view. No, it's not a tourist attraction, per se, but are people attracted here for the museum? Would that be on the hit list? Do they demand a fortnight's holiday at the Sound caff? What about the Laxey Wheel? Do visitors flock over in their droves to see the wheel, or is it simply part of a visit, something that people associate with their visit to the island? The simple pleasure of a walk half a mile out to sea is an experience that a hell of a lot of people have enjoyed when the pier was open and you can hardly dismiss fishing when it is one of the world's most popular participant sports. Unfortunately the state of the pier iillustrates the endemic attitude that has been particular to Government departments for generations. They wilfully refuse to perform simple rolling maintenance on any of their properties. The Trams fell into neglect and cost a (ongoing) fortune to repair when 'someone' discovered the rotting poles and sleepers. The Wedding Cake has just had a few mill. thrown at it. Did nobody think to simply survey the place every now and then, over the years? Before Summerland was demolished, the concrete was rotting before our eyes. (I won't start on the roads.) The lack of foresight usually ends up with a total rebuild and an outlay of millions. We should keep what makes us (increasingly less) different from England, I personally don't want to live in Manx-shire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tugger Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 It's crap. No way should central government money be thrown at this heap of scrap. If the people of Ramsey want to keep it, fine! But they should pay for it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhumsaa Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 By that attitude every single building on the Island would be removed from central govt funding? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PNP Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 Personally I think if the money should be spent on ramsey, then it would preferable to spend it on sea defences for the town centre. Almost every year various sections of the town get flooded, and if we are to believe what the scientists tell us this will happen more and more often, with the rising sea level. These are peoples homes and businesses, and in my mind slightly more important than somebidy spending a pleasant half an hour strolling along a pier. As for the thought that if the people of ramsey want it they should pay for it attitude, that is quite unbelievable. How far should this theory be taken, we already only have a part time hospital, crapping myself if I ever need a hospital in an emergency, only a half an hour drive over the mountain. Great! That's if its not winter, I suppose its the coast road then, 45 mins. Please note the word 'somebidy' above is a deliberate typo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WilDDog Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 It's crap. No way should central government money be thrown at this heap of scrap. If the people of Ramsey want to keep it, fine! But they should pay for it Fine but as Conceptor Hewitt said "lets get rid of everything else especially the likes of the Tower of Refuge and the Laxey wheel, the Trams, blah blah. Yes lets also take every single building on the Island and remove them from central govt funding eh? Nice username by the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WilDDog Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 Personally I think if the money should be spent on ramsey, then it would preferable to spend it on sea defences for the town centre. Almost every year various sections of the town get flooded, and if we are to believe what the scientists tell us this will happen more and more often, with the rising sea level. These are peoples homes and businesses, and in my mind slightly more important than somebidy spending a pleasant half an hour strolling along a pier. As for the thought that if the people of ramsey want it they should pay for it attitude, that is quite unbelievable. How far should this theory be taken, we already only have a part time hospital, crapping myself if I ever need a hospital in an emergency, only a half an hour drive over the mountain. Great! That's if its not winter, I suppose its the coast road then, 45 mins. Please note the word 'somebidy' above is a deliberate typo. Erm did you not think of the tidal consequences if the pier is removed as those two Breakwaters wouldn't stand up to a winter battering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PNP Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 Its not by the pier that keeps flooding. Its the town centre, comes up through the harbour. The scientists have had a look at the enviromental impact of just ditching the pier into the water, and apparently it would be quite good for the area, kind of an unnatural reef. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WilDDog Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 The scientists have had a look at the enviromental impact of just ditching the pier into the water, and apparently it would be quite good for the area, kind of an unnatural reef. Its not by the pier that keeps flooding. Its the town centre, comes up through the harbour. If you ditch the Iron Pier into the sea the two Breakwaters would more than likely collapse, then there would be more flooding in Ramsey than you could comprehend. The street would be no more. Oh and also the promenade would be susceptible to more flooding as well. As for the reef that's a good idea but you'll have to think of something else to build it with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nitro Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 I didn't think about the flooding side but it is a tourist attraction, Someone reported in another thread that the horse trams bring in a loss but are a popular tourist attraction, Probably for people to look at not actually use but still. I imagine it could soon make profit over a period of time, I'd pay £1-£2 etc to walk to the end and then have a nice coffee, It won't bring loads of money in but its a nice to do like other tourist attractions around the island, Some also paid for by the government. I can only imagine the type of view that you have from there and The only people who really say no are the people who don't go to Ramsey because its to far away and they need pack lunches etc. Once/If ever its restored then it will last another 100 years and i think its well worth the money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
localyokel Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 Dynamite is the only solution. I'm all for heritage but lets save the features worth saving, and Ramsey Pier is not one of them. I would also dispute that its a tourist attraction as you have to have tourists in the first place to attract. Ramsey per see needs millions pumping into it to benefit the community as a whole, so why spend the money on a pier few would actually use. If they have a few mil spare there are lots or worthy projects in the north that could benefit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 I'd like to see it repaired. I'm not particularly bothered about it being repaired using original materials. I'd be happy to just see it repaired such that it survives - and so that we can all walk out on it at our own risk. Walking out to sea and looking back at the land is fun and interesting. It's all very well spending money on stuff which makes economic sense - but isn't that the point of private finance; to fund economically viable ideas. Shopping centres, marinas and business parks are for private finance. Funding the pier would be about spending tax money on something which people actually like and which contributes to the quality of seaside life. **IMO*** Actually - I wonder how dangerous it actually is even currently. If it's down to health and safety then I wonder whether it's currently that much more dangerous than most of the breakwaters and precarious cliffs. Which can be fallen off perhaps just as easily. If it was just a matter of health and safety then the chasms and all sorts of other places would probably have to be closed down or policed too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mojomonkey Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 How about this for a prediction................ Pier issue gets raised by Ramsey MHKs in the election run up......................... lots of promises................... election happens and new government formed..................... everyone realises that the cost of renovating the pier is prohibitally expensive....................... nothing happens and repeat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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