The West
Pier is a pier in Brighton, England. It was built in 1866 by Eugenius Birch and has been closed and deteriorating since 1975, awaiting renovation, although after two fires and several storms, little is left in situ. It was Brighton's second pier, joining The Royal Suspension Chain Pier of 1823, and it is one of only two Grade I listed piers in the UK, the other being Clevedon Pier. There have been various plans to renovate the pier. Those of the West Pier Trust – the charity which owns the pier – were opposed by some local residents. Although supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, local media reported that a major concern was the impact of commercial operations on the shore which were apparently required to help fund the project. The Noble Organization, owner of the Palace Pier, joined the objectors, despite having originally been supporters of the restoration scheme (the 1996 Year of the Pier was launched from the Palace Pier). Their reported point of view was that subsidized rebuilding, were i