Brighton Pier to introduce admission fee

Brighton Palace Pier is to introduce a £1 admission fee

Brighton Palace Pier is to introduce a £1 admission fee.

The cost of maintaining, repairing and operating the tourist attraction in East Sussex has increased by almost a third over the last five years, the owners say.

The charges, which will not apply to some Brighton residents, or children under the age of two, will come into force on 25 May.

Anne Ackord, chief executive of Brighton Palace Pier, said: “The admission fee will be an important contributor to ensuring that our iconic pier is with us for generations to come.”

She said the costs to operate the pier had risen by £2.7m in the last five years, taking the annual cost to £11.6m.

The cost of operating Brighton Palace Pier has increased 31% in the last five years

The admission fee will be critical in helping to meet the unique challenges and costs of preserving the pier’s structural integrity and fabric, as well as continuing to remain open all year-round, the Brighton Pier Group, which runs Brighton Palace Pier says.

It will be in place during peak trading periods in the summer, beginning on 25 May, and over the weekends during June, and then throughout July and August.

Ms Ackord said the pier had never received any form of financial grants.

"I’ve been associated with the pier for 20 years, and in that time, absolutely nothing," told BBC Radio Sussex.

She added: "The pier is a substantial structure and in recent years, the costs associated with maintaining and operating it to the same high levels of upkeep, strength and structural integrity, have increased significantly.

"We have, to date, been able to offset and absorb these costs, but we have now reached the point where, in our view, it is sensible to implement a small admission charge for visitors to the pier from outside the local area.”

The admission fee will not apply to Brighton residents who have a Brighton Palace Pier local residents card.

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