Eastbourne pier owners 'evaluate options' after rides plans rejected

Eastbourne Pier's owners have not ruled out selling it after they were refused permission to install rides on the deck, its manager has said.

Cuerden Leisure had wanted Victorian rides to draw in the crowds but its application was rejected in June.

Pier manager Christos Stylianou said the company was "in disbelief" and evaluating its options.

Eastbourne council defended the decision and maintained it was working hard to bring attractions to the pier.

A third of the Victorian Grade II* listed structure in East Sussex was damaged by fire on 30 July 2014.

The cause of the blaze is unknown. Investigators considered several theories, including an electrical fault, discarded cigarette or arson, but the "intensity of the fire destroyed the scene and recoverable evidence".

The pier was partially reopened to traders and the public last September.

Mr Stylianou said he was disappointed the application for rides - including a carousel and helter-skelter - was turned down.

"It was heavily supported by local councillors and heritage officers," he said.

"We are currently evaluating our options. We are in regular dialogue with the council, discussing what we can and cannot do. But I fear that we may be too far down the line for the 2015 season, which would be a great shame."

David Tutt, Liberal Democrat leader of Eastbourne Borough Council, agreed the pier did need an attraction but said: "My understanding is that it wasn't exclusively Victorian rides, you couldn't limit the type of ride and you couldn't limit the times of operation. That is why the planners made the decision they did."

He added: "I am in regular dialogue with Christos and the pier owners and looking to work with them to find a way of bringing attractions to the pier during this summer."