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Despite the devastation caused by the fire at
Weston-super-Mare's Grand Pier on Monday 28 July, a wave of
determination, resilience and commitment has swept through the town
and the surrounding area.
These pages look back at the day itself and ahead to the pier's
future
As quick as the fire took hold on the Grand Pier's pavilion
building, news spread throughout the world that Weston's iconic
landmark was ablaze. Ever since, messages of support have flooded
in from far and wide.
On the day itself and the days that followed,
Avon and Somerset
Police, Avon Fire and Rescue,
the owners of the Grand Pier and ourselves
worked together to ensure public safety and minimise the disruption
to the town.
Many different council services were involved including
Environmental
Protection, Building Control,
Ranger
Service, Streets and Open
Spaces,
Communications,
Winter Gardens,
Tourism and the
Tourist
Information Centre.
Everyone worked tirelessly and long hours. Initially the aim was
to keep the area safe and provide support to the fire fighters, and
then to ensure that the pier, the beach and the rest of the town
were able to function as normally and as quickly as possible.
Up-to-date information was made available to residents and visitors
as well as the many well-wishers from all over the world.
Safety fencing was organised, the needs of the media were met,
the beach was cleaned of debris and the integrity of the pier
structure was assessed. These were just some of the tasks carried
out in the first 24 hours.
Attention is now turning to the future - of the pier itself, the
seafront area and the local tourism economy. The message is that
Weston is
open and welcoming visitors
On Friday 1 August, representatives from the council,
English Heritage,
Government Office South West,
the
South West Regional
Development Agency,
South West Tourism and the
pier's owners met. These organisations will play an important role
in the successful rebuilding of the pavilion.
Following this pier meeting a
task force is being set up to work with the owners to smooth the
way for design and reconstruction.
These pages will be updated with the latest news and information
as progress is made. |