manxchatterbox 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 applying the same rule - all motorists resident outside of Douglas should pay to Douglas Corpration a congestion charge if they wish to drive into the town centre...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Politician Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 As the only true pleasure pier in the Isle of Man and the sixth longest pier in the British Isles, it's of enormous historic importance and deserves to be restored. I was born in Brighton, where the stunning West Pier was allowed to fall into a similar state of disrepair by the prevarication of successive councils over three decades. Now it's criminally beyond repair and will soon be gone forever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mojomonkey Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 As the only true pleasure pier in the Isle of Man and the sixth longest pier in the British Isles, it's of enormous historic importance and deserves to be restored. I was born in Brighton, where the stunning West Pier was allowed to fall into a similar state of disrepair by the prevarication of successive councils over three decades. Now it's criminally beyond repair and will soon be gone forever. As far as I understand it wasn't actually built as a pleasure pier, it was built to serve ferries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon 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. It's not prohibitably expensive according, even, to the estimates. It would cost peanuts (compared with actual govt spending) to open the pier in some limited manner. It isn't that much more dangerous than it was 30 years ago when, as children, we used to climb down and onto and under the bits that have now been demolished. All that has changed is govt attention to 'health and safety'. Which is mad - given that the kids can still climb down cliffs all over the island without the cliffs being closed. Though what I think will actually happen is .... nothing. I think that nothing will happen. It won't be repaired (unfortunately) and it won't significantly rot away. It will sit there. Deteriorating only somewhat over the years. Not getting much worse but not being open to the public. Where as even without being significantly renovated it could still be open, even sometimes, even as it gradually decays. IMO the remaining section of the pier isn't significantly more dangerous than the pier was 30 years ago before the end sections were demolished. In those days you could climb under the old building at the end and down onto the now demolished right angle section. The currently remaining section is certainly much safer than the bits which used to exist and which were always open to the public. Open it. Put up a sign which warns people that they go there at their own risk. Exactly like the chasms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Politician Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 As the only true pleasure pier in the Isle of Man and the sixth longest pier in the British Isles, it's of enormous historic importance and deserves to be restored. I was born in Brighton, where the stunning West Pier was allowed to fall into a similar state of disrepair by the prevarication of successive councils over three decades. Now it's criminally beyond repair and will soon be gone forever. As far as I understand it wasn't actually built as a pleasure pier, it was built to serve ferries. That is true. However, the likelihood of it ever serving shipping again seems even more remote than the likelihood of it being restored. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manxchatterbox Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 its number 35 on the current Tynwald Order Paper - the last item before Tynwald rises and the next election - so whatever is said doesn't mean jack all cos the new Tynwald can just ignore whatever has been said now.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WilDDog Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 ManxChatterBox wrote applying the same rule - all motorists resident outside of Douglas should pay to Douglas Corpration a congestion charge if they wish to drive into the town centre...... Do you realise how pathetic that statement is? Ah right you do. I shouldn't be surprised at all, everything you post is the same, pure drivel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ripsaw Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 The island isn't diverse enough to think about the Pier, the Tower of Refuge, the horse trams as seperate entities, they are all component parts of what is left of the Island's tourism/heritage/history. Any government that can spend £11m refurbishing a single building (compared to the £6m quoted to build an entire school from scratch) should be thinking carelfully about what's important to this Island. I question the value to the Island of a renovated pier, but I don't believe that it should be singled out as a waste of money. The MEA, Childcare and Mount Murray enquiries (all resulting from Government cock ups) would have paid for the Pier with money spare to hold a half decent opening party. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theskeat Posted July 12, 2006 Author Share Posted July 12, 2006 its number 35 on the current Tynwald Order Paper - the last item before Tynwald rises and the next election - so whatever is said doesn't mean jack all cos the new Tynwald can just ignore whatever has been said now.... Trouble is its the law, Government and Local authorities have already taken legal action against members of the public, example the owner of the house at the corner of Derby road/square was fined and sent to prison for letting his property fall into a bad state of repair, Government have to abide by the same rules, but who will they send to prison if the refuse to act on Ramsey pier ?. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ardvark Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 You if there's any justice left in the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busby Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 They should do the same as has happened with the Groudle Railway - hand it over to the supporters and let them work on it. Basically, there's two ways of doing things: 1) Get the surveyors, consultants, health & safety, etc in, come up with a figure, double it, add a bit on then overspend - finish up with a bill for £millions. 2) Hand it over to the people who really care and give them a grant to get them started. The supporters call in favours from anywhere they can and work around the clock, without pay, and get the job done for a fraction of the price. I am no structural Engineer, but I am an engineer, and I can see that there isn't much wrong with that pier that cant be sorted by ordinary people. The pier is made of Cast Iron which is very, very resilient to rusting. Its not very strong, but there is nothing broken - so there's not a problem there. The main problems, as far as I can see standing below it, is some rusting of the steel beams and the teak planking needs replacing. The solution is to take the first bay and scaffold it out. Strip the planking off, replace any steelwork which is too far gone and sandblast the rest, prime and paint. Lay new Teak [or man made] planking and the job's a good one. Open up the first bay to the public then start on the next one. The money will start coming in one people see things happening. That's my two penny worth anyway - would that really be too hard to do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gladys Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 I'm no engineer Busby, but that really does have the seeds of a plan! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hboy Posted July 13, 2006 Share Posted July 13, 2006 applying the same rule - all motorists resident outside of Douglas should pay to Douglas Corpration a congestion charge if they wish to drive into the town centre...... Or maybe its the business rates paid by the companies that employ those people who rudely barge their way past your front door that keep your rates lower than they would normally be. Douglas raises more in business rates than any other local authority on the IOM and they are subsidising the property rates you pay. But then you'd know that given where you work etc .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theskeat Posted July 14, 2006 Author Share Posted July 14, 2006 The can or worms is open http://www.manxradio.com/readItem.aspx?ID=8072&cate=General Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cret Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 They should do the same as has happened with the Groudle Railway - hand it over to the supporters and let them work on it. Basically, there's two ways of doing things: 1) Get the surveyors, consultants, health & safety, etc in, come up with a figure, double it, add a bit on then overspend - finish up with a bill for £millions. 2) Hand it over to the people who really care and give them a grant to get them started. The supporters call in favours from anywhere they can and work around the clock, without pay, and get the job done for a fraction of the price. I am no structural Engineer, but I am an engineer, and I can see that there isn't much wrong with that pier that cant be sorted by ordinary people. The pier is made of Cast Iron which is very, very resilient to rusting. Its not very strong, but there is nothing broken - so there's not a problem there. The main problems, as far as I can see standing below it, is some rusting of the steel beams and the teak planking needs replacing. The solution is to take the first bay and scaffold it out. Strip the planking off, replace any steelwork which is too far gone and sandblast the rest, prime and paint. Lay new Teak [or man made] planking and the job's a good one. Open up the first bay to the public then start on the next one. The money will start coming in one people see things happening. That's my two penny worth anyway - would that really be too hard to do? That sounds like a good plan to me although I'm sure someone will be quick to give reasons why it couldn't be so simple. Sure there would be a load of people willing to get involved. I'm not a Ramsey resident but I'd love to see it restored and if pitching in is what it would be needed then I would offer to help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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