The news of the end of the road for Withernsea’s long-running pier project broke late last Friday afternoon.
It was perhaps a strange time to release the news, but, because it was a big deal for Withernsea, to say the least, we put it out pretty much there and then. Other outlets such as Radio Humberside didn’t pick up on it until the following Monday (but with all due credit given to us, which was great to see).
Of course we tried to contact East Riding Council for a response as soon as we could, given that there were some fairly strong claims from the Withernsea Pier and Promenade Association surrounding the barriers that they say had been put in their way over the seven years of striving to make the project a reality.
When the council did comment the following Tuesday, its response was brief and did not directly address the WPPA’s points.
All I will say for now is that, when the news came out, it wasn’t a huge surprise to us, as there had been no visible progression on the plans nor any update for many months, and the Facebook rumour mill had already gone into overdrive as to whether the project was dead in the water.
Regardless of who is ultimately to blame for the project now being unviable, it’s just a very sad outcome for the town. The plan was ambitious – some may say wildly ambitious – but it’s to the huge credit of the WPPA for having the vision in the first place, and to the many people of the town who believed in it and wholeheartedly supported it.
The Pier Towers are, along with the lighthouse, the town’s greatest landmark – let’s hope that something can still be salvaged from what could have really put them on the map.
