The Assembly Member for Aberconwy, Janet Finch-Saunders AM, has called on Conwy County Borough Council to better protect public assets, following the collapse of a large part of Colwyn Bay pier.
The Council has spent thousands of pounds of taxpayer money on legal fees incurred in relation to the ownership of the Pier, and now many have criticised their lack of action to protect this once-admired public asset.
Janet said:
“For far too long, Colwyn Bay Pier has been left to rot, becoming something of a local eyesore, rather than the vibrant, bustling seaside attraction it once was.
“My constituents are council taxpayers, and deserve their money to be spent in a valuable and meaningful way.
“Having wasted thousands of pounds of public money over a legal dispute about the ownership of the Pier, it is entirely wrong that the Council have also left this piece of our local history to rot and decay.
“A proper maintenance programme to support this structure and bring the Pier back into use would have benefited the local economy far more than years of legal wrangling.
“Alongside the baffling rejection of almost £600,000 for renovation work from the Heritage Lottery Fund, this really goes to show how out of touch the Council are with local residents, who have been crying out for years for the restoration of this Grade II listed structure.
“Nearby, Llandudno Pier – an iconic landmark in the area – sold for £4.5m in 2015. With careful investment the Council could have transformed Colwyn Bay’s site into a major attraction too.”
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