The Brighton i360 has closed, with staff called to a meeting today (Friday 20 December) to hear the news.
They are being laid off and told that there is no to pay them as the seafront attraction goes under with debts of more than £50 million.
The biggest creditor is Brighton and Hove City Council which is owed just over £51 million after arranging a loan from the Public Works Loan Board.in 2014.
The council could take ownership by default and try to find a buyer although efforts have been under way for some months to broker a sale.
The company gave no notice of its intention to appoint administrators late last month, a move that gave it brief protection from creditors.
It is expected to appoint administrators today, having work with a specialist firm, Interpath, up to this point.
An email to staff yesterday said: “As you know, following an extremely challenging summer, it has been necessary to seek additional investment into the business.
“Accordingly, with the assistance of professional advisers, we ran an extensive marketing process to secure this, which resulted in a number of offers to deliver the necessary investment.
“However, we are very sorry to have to inform you that we found out today that the last of the potential offers has fallen through.
“As such, we have no further choice but to appoint administrators.
“Interpath will take office tomorrow morning, Friday 20 December.
“This means that the attraction will cease operation today (Thursday 19 December).
“There is no obligation to attend site tomorrow but Interpath will hold a staff meeting at 11am on site to inform you of next steps, followed by a Teams call at 1pm for those not able to attend in person.
“Interpath have advised that personal property should be collected today or tomorrow morning.
“We are so very sorry to have to say that this means it will not be possible to make payroll next week.
“Interpath will provide information tomorrow regarding the redundancy payment service.
“It is devastating to have to tell you this and even more so at this time of year.
“We have worked so hard to find a positive outcome, an outcome that would have enabled the business to continue providing the amazing experience it does, an experience that is only possible as a result of your hard work and dedication.
“Thank you so much for making Brighton i360 the incredible place it is.”
I live opposite the i360. Locals told the council it would not get the projected visitors as the seafront is empty out of season and on bad weather days but still the council gave millions.
Last year even the pier lost millions due to the council keeping the main road closed for months when it could have been opened rapidly so the council is a lot to blame for giving tax payers money then causing loss of visitors.
But the i360 has been badly managed. The whole complex is in darkness early evening even in the summer. For the i360 to make money the buildings around it need to be used around the clock. Having the odd conference or wedding does not pay. It should be full of bars, restaurants and perhaps a nightclub. The pod could do hourly flights at night in season such as a cocktail bar, it only needs a parta loo fitted. Or even make the whole venue into a Star wars attraction. My point is the venue is hardly used as not open.
The council has in effect gave money away to a project that would not work in the area it has been built. So questions need to be asked.
“Last year even the pier lost millions due to the council keeping the main road closed for months when it could have been opened rapidly so the council is a lot to blame for giving tax payers money then causing loss of visitors.”
Which road was closed for months? The pier lost money because of the awful weather and train disruptions and they say that themselves.
“The pod could do hourly flights at night in season such as a cocktail bar..”
They have been doing things like this for a long time – a friend of mine did one such ‘cocktail’ trips! Pod goes up then down – people can then go to the loo then rebpard then up and down again.
One of the many problems about this doomed project was the lack of a loo – you’re surely not defending that?
When there was a fire at the Albion hotel the council took over the demolition. I live very near work was finished daily before 4pm and no work took place over weekends. The duel carriageway was closed both ways. Tourists avoided the area. If daylight hours were used the building could have been made safe near the road very rapidly, but for weeks the road was used mainly for security sitting without hard hats. The pier lost £5M and it blamed the main road being closed. But poor weather also contributed as you say.
I overlook the i360 even in peak season it was closed early evening , but on occasions as you say they did do later but not very often. The complex needs to be used around the clock to be viable by that i mainly mean the buildings around it.
My point is the complex was badly managed, plus the council gave millions when the predicted visitor numbers were impossible.
I hope its bought privately and managed to make it pay.
But the council need to be investigated as locals did say this would happen.
Agree about management – there have been many missed opportunities – any contrary to what Labour councillors say now, the cash flow situation after it opened wasn’t always dire, but it never recovered from the pandemic really.
Rather than give that part of the seafront extra support at that time to make it thrive, and for more creative ideas about using the space were pursued, the council seem to have left the i360 to it, despite the risk to public money.
I find it frustrating that councillors have acted so irresponsibly by talking things down for ages, the arches and broader economic benefits of the i360 have actually been good for the city, and they could have done much more to ensure that it didn’t fail in the way that it has.
Utter tripe, it was in trouble long before the Pandemic, they only managed one or two payments.
The i360 would cost an average working class family an arm and a leg to go up it.
No sympathy!!
I hope Jason Kitcat and Geoffrey Theobold have deep pockets and a good lawyer.
Doing this A few days before Xmas. Wow!!!
SCUMBAGS!!
Will the Police please now investgate this?
The ones who lose out the most are the ex-staff, who will have done nothing wrong, and are now having to find new employment.
I don’t know how this monstrosity got the go ahead in the first place. Everyone knew it would be a total failure.
Yes before it was built locals told the council they would not get the predicted visitor numbers. I live opposite on bad weather in the summer and out of season the area is deserted.
how much money did the west pier trust make on the sale of the old rusty bits of metal last saturday?
To claim the pier lost money due to train strikes and a road being closed is utter rubbish. The I360 was a risky folly, something so expensive and permanent that is very much a “once only” experience and a costly one at that was never going to make money.
Risky folly like try to live in Brighton right now, so honestly was built in the perfect city.
Financial experts …FROM THE START…were clear that this could never make money. They looked at size and demographic re residents b and h , sussex and all neighbouring counties) also tourist arrival numbers both day trippers and longer stays. Given the operating costs, staff costs, insurance etc..it could never break even let alone be profitable..How many times would a person pay to go up there yhen pay 10 pds for a small glass of wine..One? perhaps. no space or facilities up there for restaurant, nightclub etc. Non starter. Didn’t B and H Council consult said financial experts before loaning 51 million pounds of tax payers money? clearly not.
Disgrace.
Knock it down and sell it for scrap to Geo Richardson. Should get £200/Tonne
We, the public, knew the i360 was a terrible idea from it’s concept. Far too many questions. It’s a perfect example of corruption and greed. I do hope a few key people will be named accountable (architects, council) though I doubt this.
Those of us who have lived nearby for some time could see from the start that this was a terrible idea and an unsuitable location for such a project. In London, with its rich history and stunning architecture, a concept like this might work. But here in Brighton? Not so much. Unfortunately, our concerns were met with scorn, dismissed as merely “negative.” We were smugly told to “leave it to the experts.”
Now I’ll propose a solution – one I’ve advocated since before construction began. The fundamental problem is that the i360 is essentially an expensive lift to nowhere. The current pod is too small to support any meaningful revenue-generating activities. Instead, the pod should become a lift to a new, much larger pod which is permanently fixed at the top.
This new pod could house something truly worthwhile – a spectacular restaurant and bar, making money throughout the day and night. The lift ride would still come with a small cost, but it would be taking visitors ‘somewhere’ rather than ‘nowhere’.
If the existing structure can’t handle the additional weight, a couple of support legs could be added. Yes, this might give it a “War of the Worlds” tripod-like appearance, but at least it would transform the i360 into something both practical and iconic.
Plenty already consider the existing structure to be an eyesore, although I think it’s elegant and provides a vertical counterpoint to the wide horizontal seafront but what you’re suggesting would resemble an oil rig. As a former frequent day tripper to B&H (until parking became too difficult and expensive), I’ve been up the i360 once and couldn’t see a reason to go up again. Maybe it could become a massive helter-skelter or zip wire but it’s not a structure that lends itself to conversion to another function. The only suggestion I have is to extend the deck over the beach creating something similar to the Hastings pier restoration, on which markets, events, stalls and kiosks can be sited and held without the need for permanent structures.
COULD IT EVER REOPEN AGAIN BUT BE BETTER RUN? BRIGHTON NEEDS SOMEONE WITH LOADSA MONEY AND NO BRAIN LIKE THESE HOLLYWOOD ACTORS SCOOPING UP FOOTBALL CLUBS
Could be great for affordable housing and a free park area for kids. Or an outside class area. So much potential. Shame greens aren’t in they would have a plan!
The business plan was always unworkable but the Greens just pressed ahead. Let’s hope it can be sold (perhaps to the middle east). In the meantime I think there should be a public inquiry , this smelt bad from the start.
Simply speaking. It was built on the wrong place, if you would like volume tourism, you need to build where coaches can park (ie Madeira Drive) building where there is no parking made this project unnviable
I am very sorry for all the staff being laid off.
( Especially at Christmas time.)
So will the structure remain in place? A grand monument to folly to pair with the monument to frailty that is the skeletal remains of the West Pier. Turn the area into a graveyard of human ambition; or a mausoleum of misadventure perhaps, a place for the interment for the earthly remains of the councillors who approved this obsolescent obelisk. Spend a few quid, it could be a massive attraction!
Absolute scumbags – taking bookings for kids to meet Father Christmas and now pulling the plug – that’s theft in my book – management should be held accountable and should be prosecuted
The last published accounts for the year ending June 2023 show the total number of employees at 161! What on earth where 161 people doing? No wonder all the profit disappeared on wages and “administration”.
Wow, less than a week to Christmas and no payroll, that is appalling! I’m sure the CEO, CFO and other senior management will be OK though!
I have been saying for years it is way too expensive for a trip. If they had tickets for £8, it would be full. Anyone having friends or family to stay would be happy to go multiple times as it is not that much to go with them up there. A day tripper or hen/stag party would be ok to pay as groups because it is a good activity to fill a bit of time. They pitched it at the high end but at their folly.
I think people need to remember that it does make a profit every year. Just not enough to ever fully pay back the loan. So it could be an option for the council just to keep it open and write off the loan – they save 160 people from unemployment and there will be tax revenue from it.
I think you need some help, we already have a £51m debt, keeping it open is only going to increase the debts the i360 already has and it has gone into adminstration for a reason. There was no buyer or sponsors because it is a lost cause.
I went in front of tourist committee 4 years ago with a proposal to turn it into an attraction rather than a viewing tower. Councillors and officers joked. If they are guilty of anything it’s ignorance and now 51 million later the public purse will suffer.
Should have built an ice rink like they promised; that could have provided a replacement venue for the aging brighton centre, helped to keep kids and adults fit and been the only ice rink on the south coast before Gosport. Look at the pavilion one to see if it would have been worth it.
Everyone on the council involved in loaning the i360 this money should be fired.
Good riddance; it’s an architect’s vanity project and phallic eyesore. Take it down, then rebuild the pier and make that a music venue (or something).
Non Disclosure Agreements exist to cover the council being threatened by a £10m claim due to land use
Rather than bad news then a gamble of a £31m loan hoping it would make some money. Worse case was a few years of trading, then a few years of finger pointing, then a few more years of inquiries.
We pay they run away
I hope a way to reopen it can be found. I went up it and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
My prediction is that it will reopen with a new owner.
That owner will buy it for what its worth as a building and attraction.
They WILL NOT buy the current business and its debts.
The debt will be left to the city to pay back.
This was always a doomed venture the whole plan to have a 360 view of the top of the top of Whitehawk or the sea was so dumb. The whole thing was so wank im glad it failed I feel vindicated in my initial thoughts.
It,s not just this folly. My wife and I had been regular visitors for over 50 years, summer and winter, but stopped going about 5 years back. The abominal road systems, confusing bus lanes and lack of parking was putting us off and then I got s ticket for driving a few yards in a new bus lane that I was trying to get out of in heavy traffic. That was the last straw. The are many places that welcome visitors and Brighton is not one of them.
Coastal towns in the South all seem to be trying to put off visitors. Where we once spent a pleasant day on a south coast town with a visit to a decent restaurant we now get a ferry over the channel and spend day in Belgium or France. A much better welcome for visitors there.