Two politicians who are looking for ways to boost Brighton and Hove’s seafront have responded to the news that the Palace Pier has been put up for sale.
Jacob Taylor and Steve Bassam said that the sale was “an important moment” for Brighton and Hove and “an opportunity for new investment”.
They echoed comments by Brighton and Hove City Council – that the Palace Pier was “a cultural icon and a much-loved attraction, central to the city’s identity and the local visitor economy”.
The council also said: “As a grade II* listed landmark, the pier attracts millions of visitors each year, supporting jobs and businesses across the city and contributing significantly to Brighton and Hove’s reputation as a leading UK destination.”
Labour councillor Jacob Taylor, the deputy leader of the council, said: “Brighton and Hove is a city on the rise – full of energy, creativity and opportunity.”
Councillor Taylor, who is also the council’s cabinet member for finance and city regeneration, said that the pier was “an iconic part of our seafront – and its sale is an important moment”.
He said: “We’re confident that, alongside major investments like the restoration of Madeira Terrace and new leisure spaces at Black Rock and Hove Beach Park, Brighton and Hove will continue to thrive.
“This is a city with a proven track record and a bold vision for what’s next.
“While it is privately owned, we will work closely with the current and new owners to ensure the pier and our seafront continues to thrive.”
The council added: “Brighton and Hove was recently recognised on the world stage by Time Out magazine as one of the top 50 cities globally and ranked among the top three destinations in the UK.
“Its reputation as a welcoming, colourful and vibrant place to live, work and visit is stronger than ever.
“In 2024, Brighton and Hove attracted 12.2 million trips, generating an impressive £1.39 billion for the local economy and supporting more than 25,600 jobs across accommodation, retail, catering and entertainment.
“The council continues to collaborate with partners, businesses and the community to transform public spaces and support a strong, sustainable tourism offer and a seafront to be proud of.
“The city’s Seafront Development Board also plays a key role in shaping regeneration, unlocking investment and guiding a long‑term vision for the whole waterfront.”
Labour peer Lord Bassam of Brighton chairs the seafront development board. He said: “The Palace Pier is a jewel in our crown, a much-loved part of Brighton’s heritage and a key attraction for visitors. Its future matters to us all.”
Lord Bassam, a former long-serving leader of the council and government minister, said: “The sale presents an opportunity for new investment and innovation to protect our heritage and keep it accessible while also supporting a modern, thriving economy.
“We need to work together and look for the right investment to keep Brighton and Hove a world‑class destination for residents and visitors alike.”
As the leader of Brighton Borough Council in the 1980s and 1990s, Steve Bassam was credited with turning a strategy to revive the then rundown seafront into reality at a time when many other seaside resorts were struggling.
As a member of the House of Lords, he drew on his experience – and the experience of others – when he chaired a committee that produced an influential report on the future of seaside towns.
Seafront Development Board is silent about King Alfred and Black Rock . One year on and no statement at all . Why is that?
Half that, I believe they were approved as a board in July. Still, I’d like to hear about their meetings too. Perhaps you could contact your Ward Councillor?
Usual guff and waffle from bassam and who-he? = and the kiss of death if B&H “city” interferes ….
can’t even get a proper Taxi Rank at thr front of Brighton Station.
Pathetic City planning controlled by Buses and Uber.Lewes cabs using our Bus Lanes while locals are fined for accidentally straying into them due to deliberate lack of signage.. …
Read the hundreds of comments in the national newspapers they paint a terrible picture, dirty graffiti covered, weed laden pavements, closed toilets, expensive parking, cycle lanes, congestion! We’ve become the Blackpool of the South!
Let’s face it Bongo, comments on websites are only account for a very small number of people in an echo chamber.
Especially when we consider that the council has in fact tackled graffiti quite aggressively in recent months; weeds have been dealt with, it’s just the method that people debate; toilets that were shut down by the Greens have been reopened; and cycle lanes aren’t a bad thing.
Parking is still expensive though, can’t argue that one, lol!
We’re just have to agree to disagree on your opinion.
Please give a break down cost of a family of 4 driving down to Brighton to visit the pier .
This will include parking . Entrance fee cost of food drinks and the cost of going on the rides .
Then you might have a valid point but until then
Hi Rupert,
It’s not just the costs, it’s getting into the city with all the congestion, then actually finding a place to park.
You’ve asked for a breakdown of costs for a family of four driving down to Brighton, that can’t be answered because we would need to know where they are travelling from. Again Parking costs can’t be known unless we know how long they are parking for and where they actually park.
All we can do is estimate and give a rough cost.
Parking on street in Brighton Town center is a staggering 5.90 for 1 hour rising to 9.90 for 2 hours and 16.60 for 4 hours. Daylight robbery and a cash cow.
I just simply asked for a breakdown because I know of families that say it’s costing £100 at least to go out these days with kids ! Clearly you and Benji don’t get that .
Brighton Palace Pier has a peak season admission fee (£2 adults, £1 kids, £5 family), but offers unlimited ride wristbands for around £32 (adult) / £27 (kids) on the day, with cheaper online deals or special packages (like the £40 Big Day Out with food/tickets) available; food, like fish & chips and donuts, is extra but varied, with voucher options in packages.
Admission (Peak Times):
Adults: £2
Children (under 12): £1
Family (2 adults, up to 4 kids): £5
Free Entry: Local BN postcode residents (with card), pre-booked wristband holders, and annual pass holders.
Rides & Wristbands (Prices vary online vs. on the day):
Supersaver Wristband: £32 (adult) / £27 (kids under 1.2m) on the day, includes all rides.
Big Day Out Package: Around £40 (kids) / £60 (adults) online, includes unlimited rides, food voucher, sweet treat voucher, and 100 arcade tickets.
All the prices are higher …except it’s only £3 to get in a normal Taxi …same price as a Bus …..WTF but there is no rank at Brighton Station that they can all use……the private paid Rank at the back is in the wrong place ,has no cover in the rain and only a few drivers who will pay to get an advantage over their taxi colleagues can Rank there without getting a ticket!!! Wow what a City ,Taxi used to be a luxury …now they are not even earning minimum wage , at least if they had a Rank we could take advantage of the dismal rates.
When it was a £1 to get in a cab it was 10 p to get a Bus …..,.Now four people can get into a cab for £3 but £12 for them to get a Bus one stop 🤔😬
Basic answer to Rupert’s £100 to go out claim – parks exist.
Hi Ben, happy new year to you and everybody else of course.
You as usual make valid points but I would point out visitors have experienced the delights of graffiti, muck and filth, overgrown weeds, closed toilets, road traffic and parking problems, consistent road works, high parking fees etc for at least a decade now.
So it makes no difference if the council has in fact tackled graffiti etc quite aggressively in recent months.
The damage has already been done.
Happy New Year to you as well, Martin; I’m looking forward to having more discussions over the year, and thank you for answering Rupert’s question for me. You’re absolutely right that the council hasn’t been handling these issues well historically, especially while it was Green-controlled and hung, but I also think it’s important to highlight that it’s going in a positive direction.
I completely understand Ali’s feelings. For too long, people have felt let down by inconsistent maintenance, poor facilities, and a lack of long-term planning, issues that have built up over years of underinvestment and political instability. The past decade can’t be corrected overnight; change takes time, but I’m optimistic that we can push for sustained improvement.
It is so hard and expensive to park a vehicle nowadays that people choose not to travel here.
Pier management warned BHCC about the adverse financial impact of VG3. But , of course, they didn’t listen .
£13m for more congestion , pollution and financial ruin – well done BHCC!
Their financial reports on Companies House actually state the major drivers were the hotel fire and poor weather, Jane.
That is the previous year and not 2025. Weather this summer was actually quite reasonable. Jane is right the management of the Pier were always very vocally against the plans for VG3 and the redevelopment of it this summer has certainly not helped. The increase in National Employers Insurance and minimum wage rise has also further squeezed margins, (and that affects the entire hospitality sector).
Last couple of years, actually! Yeah, having to pay people fairly has certainly caused further squeezing in the margins. Their Cancellation circular tells a pretty revealing story; they don’t seem to think VG3 is a factor, but more behavioural trends in spending, which mimics a national picture of wealth inequality.
https://www.brightonpiergroup.com/files/Cancellation_Circular_to_Shareholders_notice_to_convene_a_General_Meeting_print.pdf
“Leading political figures” is a bit of a stretch imo, essentially the people commenting are two Labour Party representatives who sit on the Labour created “Seafront Board” which only contains Labour politicians and excluded others, and which contains no genuine community representation. All of the focus of the Labour Seafront Board focuses on projects in the constituencies represented by Labour MPs, rather than the central part of Brighton seafront, the whole thing is farcical.
While they may try to give the impression Labour give two hoots about the local economy, their time would be better spent speaking to the hospitality sector in the city and then lobbying their own Government about the way in which Labour are decimating the sector.
COVID was the primary driver for the hospitality sector struggling, followed by the double whammy of Brexit, neither of which is Labour-specific. Cost-of-living is a third one, and that’s still a major national issue which, I’m hoping getting addressed in earnest this year, seeing as the New Year’s speech highlighted a shift from repairing the damage caused by the Cons, and moving into a more aspirational approach.
Time will tell on that latter part.
What like the i360 yeah we’ll see promising the people at this town something and end up with nothing
Parking fees are ridiculous and must put off would be visitors
Slightly off topic, but perhaps Lord Bassam could exert his influence to release the necessary funds to complete the Madeira terrace restoration.
The Palace Pier has been irrelevant since it took away the theatre for “restoration” and never brought it back, which makes meaningless the “Palace ” moniker. A place to avoid.
https://youtu.be/-0YTbjkpg5U?si=kbhe_HyJhuHFYodU
Its going bankrupt. And the building trade is what everything follows . If that’s not doing well then nothing else is
Rupert, that sensationalist video is an overly dramatic piece of deeply flawed economic fatalism, and it’s completely off-topic for an article about Brighton Pier being sold.
Your entitled to your opinion
Simply put , it’s your opinion and that’s it
Sigh…This isn’t “just opinion”. The video repeatedly makes factual claims that don’t withstand scrutiny. It’s sensationalist economic fatalism built by stacking worst-case assumptions and presenting them as mathematical certainty. Pointing that out is not a matter of taste; it’s basic fact-checking.
And once again, you’re posting random things that have absolutely no relevance to the article. Fact.
That’s your opinion but it is related. Unfortunately you can’t see it therefore it’s not about you is it .
You don’t speak for everyone else
Just saying “Nuh-uh” is how a child responds, because they don’t know how to form a cohesive argument.
Once again, you are failing to providing any foundation for your off-topic claims. So once again, I maintain, you are being irrelevant and off-topic.
I do seem to rattle your cage
Brighton has priced itself out of the tourism market. They have made cars unwelcome. Families don’t want to have to queue for ages to drive into Brighton and then find the cost of car parking is extortionate. Families with two or more children do not want to have to park and ride with a system that only connects to a normal bus route when they have pushchairs, picnic bags, and all the extras that travelling with children create. The train is an alternative but there is still the problem of bus chaos round the station, now taxis have to vie for road space with the buses, or a longish walk with lots of bags to reach the sea. Everything in Brighton is so expensive when/if you ever manage to reach the sea. I live in Brighton and I appreciate the amenities when I go down there but then I know all the cheap places to eat etc. I am sorry but recent councils have ruined tourism in the city. Everything is for the university students, including housing, and long time residents and visitors are not really welcome.
Various datasets show tourism is doing very well. Occupancy rates of hotels in Brighton, for example.
As Benji said , go to the park.
Clearly not a family man
I think that some people would do well here to remember that not everybody visiting Brighton is a local.