A pier for Redcar is achievable if you don't go over the top

At the first meeting of the new Regeneration Committee we talked about a pier for Redcar being included in the Local Plan. It was left out of the draft plan published last year. As you can see from the slide that was put up the majority group on the Council are still being very negative about it in spite of what they may say publicly. They refer to difficulties that may not actually be there.

I made the point, as I have done all along from day one, that a pier similar to that of Saltburn is achievable. At the current cost of £6m the Council can bring in funding if it puts it in the capital budget, draws up a plan and bids for it. Putting it in the Local Plan is a start but the commitment bit is actually putting it in the capital budget.

I say we should be concentrating on doing what is achievable because others are claiming to want a grandiose leisure facility of some kind on the end of it, which, quite frankly is a pipe dream at present. As I said when this campaign started around 2004 on redcar.net a pier like Saltburn, which people could walk on and fish off was what we wanted.

That is achievable if the Council is willing to facilitate it. Once that is achieved if someone from the private sector comes along and is willing to finance a leisure facility on the end then fine but the important thing to concentrate on now is getting the pier. As you can see from the slide the Council is putting up smoke screens but at least we are making a step forward by putting it in the Local Plan.