Swanage Pier

Thanks to all those who turned out last Friday to the Pier Trust Public Meeting.
The main topic of the evening became the plans for new buildings on the Pier.
Last year new buildings were planned and grants in the pipeline to commence the building, but the Trust held back their planning applications until the new owners of Divers Down acquired planning permission for their new Diving Academy.
They had their plans turned down twice last year by PDC, despite the Town Council and The Pier Trust approving these.
Comments from the planning officers at PDC were.
"The proposed building has an inappropriate domestic form and confused architectural references".
Divers Down, The Trust, The Architects, Divers and other groups consider a new building should be a bright, modern, functional design, depicting some of the Pier feaures.
This is exactly what the Architects presented and had rejected.
Members of The Pier Trust receive many complaints about the existing portacabins etc on the Pier, so the Trust invited the PDC planners to a meeting with the owners of Divers Down and the Trust to try to solve the type of design PDC would consider. Unfortunately PDC did not take up the invitation so the Trust decided to convene the Public meeting to explain the situation.
Divers Down will shortly be submitting yet more plans to PDC and we ask all of you to view these and make your comments to PDC.
I will place a posting on this site just as soon as we have dates.
Remember
(a) That Swanage is one of the top dive sites in the UK.
(b) During the 48 years that Divers Down have been operating on the Pier, Divers and their families have spent millions of pounds in this town.
(c) More and more Divers are now going on foreign holidays to exotic locations.
(d) Weymouth are trying to encourage more Divers there by possibly sinking an old warship, like at Plymouth.
(e) Upkeep of the Pier relies heavily on Diver's income.

The modern Diver looks to having the best services and equipment. Divers Down intend offering all of this, but without a suitable building , Divers will lose the attraction of coming to Swanage.
If numbers deteriorate, this will directly effect the income of Divers Down, The Pier Trust, Guest Houses and Hotels. Camping & Caravan Sites, Pubs, Restaurants and a host of other businesses in our Town.
Please watch this space and support Divers Down and the Pier Trust with their planning applications.

Jon Mosen
Diving Rep.
Swanage Pier Trust

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Posted by Anonymous to swanage view at 4/06/2006 10:56:44 AM