Victoria Pier - Regeneration Attempts

Regeneration Attempts

August 1994 saw new hope for the beleaguered pier, as marine engineer Mike Paxman bought it and stated he intended to restore it to its former glory. Mr. Paxman carried out work to repair the pier's decking and subdivided the former Golden Goose Amusements building into several smaller business, including a bar, cafe, shops and amusements, which opened on 1 April 1996. He also intended to reopen the pavilion as a nightclub but did not have sufficient funding to do so. He eventually put the pier up for sale in 2003 by advertising it on auction site Ebay but it failed to sell.

On 11 December 2003 the pier was bought by Cambridgeshire businessman Steve Hunt, who sold his house to fund the £100,000 purchase price. He reopened the pier on Saturday 17 January 2004 and announced his intention to gradually restore the decaying structure. He has a particular interest in restoring the pier's Art Deco Pavilion, built in 1933.

At present (2008), the entrance building houses a fishing tackle shop, cafe, bar (which was extended, refurbished and renamed 'Oddities' for the 2008 season) and a selection of amusement machines. The pavilion is home to various special events such as the successful annual art exhibition. A small section of the pier neck is open to the public, mainly housing an outdoor seating area for the bar. The main area of the pier neck is closed to the general public but is open for fishing, subject to the purchase of a permit.

The Pier closed at the end of July 2008, as a result of a Bankruptcy Order made against the owner, Steve Hunt, by Conwy County Borough Council in respect of what they claimed were unpaid business rates. Mr. Hunt attempted to have the Bankruptcy Order annulled but with no success and the pier remained closed to the public.

A documentary, entitled Pier Pressure, was shown on BBC2 Wales in December 2008; the film followed Steve Hunt's attempts to rescue and restore the Victoria Pier over a one year period.

In January 2009, Mr Hunt has posted a message on the pier's website, stating:

"With regard to the pier itself, it is currently closed to the public whilst the malicious bankruptcy brought about by Conwy County Borough Council is being dealt with by the lawyers. CCBC is now under investigation by a number of official bodies for serious civil and criminal offences committed against the pier's owner. CCBC are due in court in February for the first of many cases that are likely to be brought against them in this utterly outrageous case."

As of June 2011, the Pier is still closed and its condition continues to deteriorate. Conwy County Borough Council is currently trying to buy the Pier from the Receivers, Royce Peeling Green, and intends to grant a Lease to a local Community Group if they are successful. In late march 2012, Conwy borough council announced they would put in a request for lottery funding to be used to save the pier, however the request was denied and the structure still lies in a bad state, with fencing blocking people from being able to go under the pier for Heath and safety reasons.