Recently a Brighton property developer, Mike Holland, expressed interest in rebuilding the pier. It’s well known that the Trust’s first priority is
to deliver the i360 with its partners as we strongly believe that a new pier could not be viable without the i360. In the meantime we are always pleased to talk to people with solid, funded proposals for the pier and on that basis opened discussions with Mr Holland. We asked Mr Holland to provide very basic details of his proposed scheme including statements on design, activities and funding. As a charity with objects and legal responsibilities the Trust could hardly be expected to give Mr Holland carte blanche. In fact it is hard to imagine how any organisation would be prepared to accept a proposal for its site without knowing anything about it. He was not prepared to provide the Trust with this information
and instead decided to withdraw his interest. The manner in which this was reported in the media could give the impression that the Trust was not willing to work with Mr Holland. That is not the case at all. We would have been very keen to do so had really practicable proposals been put to us.
