Tuesday, April 26th 2005. Front page article reproduced with kind permission of the Evening Echo newspaper.
The following text is an exact duplication of that which appeared in the newspaper articles.
Epic World Leisure's ideas for Southend Pier's regeneration have already been rejected by the council, but the company is applying for planning permission to carry them out anyway.
The firm, of Weston Road, Southend was one of the unsuccessful bidders when the council decided to opt instead for a scheme from the Riviera Group.
Epic World managing director Tony Garner said "We believe it is important there is a back-up should the plan by the Riviera Group fail to come to fruition". Mr Garner won planning permission five years ago for a giant roller coaster at the pier head, but it did not go ahead. He said today: "We have now applied not just to renew this application but to carry out our development of the pier. We have the money and our scheme has been looked at by consultants Ernst and Young".
Mr Garner, of Thorpe Bay, said he had submitted full plans to the council now because he believed the committee which considered the pier's development had not considered them in detail.
Picture caption: £45m vision - an artist's impression of the pier head showing an extreme bungee jump protruding from a futuristic pavilion which would contain a cinema, restaurant, entertainment area and adventure play park.
His plans include:
▪ A themed visitor
experience starting at the foreshore and extending to the pier head and out
into the sea.
▪ A new pavilion-style building on the site of the former
bowling alley at the shore end incorporating the pier museum.
▪ Redevelopment of the foreshore promenade deck
▪ New pier trains and track with stations at the shore end
and pier head.
▪ A pier head building with cafes, bars and restaurants,
4D cinema and theatre
▪ Extreme sports, a rollercoaster and improved moorings at
the pier.
Leigh architect Bernard Gooding, who has been involved in the design of the scheme, said: "I believe this is a fantastic opportunity for Southend and it is no idle boast. The banks have said there is £40million available".
New Southend council leader Anna Waite said she was not aware of the application having been submitted but added that it would be examined and treated fairly.
Just when it seemed the redevelopment of Southend Pier was cut and dried, a rejected plan rears its head again.
Southend businessman Tony Garner is seeking planning permission for a £45million plan inspired by the legend of Atlantis and incorporating a stunning array of entertainment ideas.
On the face of it, he has little chance of success. Southend Council has opted to back a rival proposal from the Riviera group of Bournemouth.
But Mr Garner points out he already has planning approval for the Swine rollercoaster ride which forms a key part of his ambitious pier plans.
He may also be speculating that a change at the top at the Civic Centre - a new chief executive and new council leader - could work in his favour, although so far there is no indication of this.
However, in one telling way Mr Garner has stolen a march on Riviera by being so open about his blueprint, shown across these pages. Love it or hate it, at least you know what it is. So far the public have been given much less detail on the Riviera Scheme.
We have seen a couple of artist's impressions adapted from a plan originally drawn up for Bournemouth Pier, with a rough outline of what is envisaged, but the nuts and bolts have only been discussed behind closed doors.
Riviera and the council should now move quickly to issue full details of the favour scheme so the public can get an idea of why it was selected while Mr Garners' was thrown out.
▪ Old style new look - the pier entrance would have a Victorian theme.
The £45million scheme is made up of a theme visitor experience starting at the foreshore and extending along the pier to the pier head and out into the sea. It includes:
The figures behind the scheme have been agreed by Ernst and Young, the developers claim.
The scheme's financial blueprint says:
Despite planning permission being granted, negotiations broke down and the scheme was dropped as a preferred development by the new controlling Tory group.
However, Mr Garner has never given up hope of persuading the council to accept his proposals for the future of the world famous landmark. The offices of his company, Epic World Leisure, is in a suite of offices in Weston Road. The pier is plainly the major concern of the firm with models and artists' impressions on the tables and walls. Mr Garner was optimistic last year that his new Atlantis City concept for a complete £45million redevelopment of the pier would win favour with the council.
But in the end, it was the Bournemouth based Riviera Group which was the council's preferred developer. As he is fully entitled to do, Mr Garner has now put in for full planning permission for the total redevelopment and not just for the renewal of plans for the Swine. The scheme had not yet appeared on the list of applications submitted, as officers study its implications. Such an application would probably have to be finally decided by the full council, rather than simply by a meeting of the development control committee. Mr Garner said he was disappointed the plan had not been accepted by the council, especially as £950,000 had already been expended on preparing the latest proposals.; He said: "There are fantastic opportunities available for Southend from our proposals and we believe they need proper and full consideration."
Turned down by the council, but man with a vision for town's world-famous attraction says he is not about to give up without a fight.
The long walk for pier developer Tony.
Defiant businessman Tony Garner refuses to be put off. He is relentlessly pursuing his ambitious £45million development of Southend Pier despite having his scheme knocked back by councillors. Southend Council turned down a similar plan earlier this year and his plan for the Swine ride at the pier head faltered five year ago. He remains determined to see it through, even though Bournemouth based Riviera Group has been selected as the preferred bidder.
Mr Garner, managing director of Epic World insisted: "We believe it is important there is a back-up should the plan by the Riviera Group fail to come to fruition". Southend Council says it has a duty to consider any development fairly with an appraisal carried out by planning officials.
Although this plan has now been submitted, without the council backing the general principle of the development it is unlikely to go ahead. For nearly 10 years, development of Southend Pier has been a driving force in the life of Mr Garner, who lives in Thorpe Bay. His scheme for the Swine, the biggest rollercoaster over water in the world, originally won favour with the former Labour and Liberal Democrat administration of the council in the late 1990's.