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i360 bosses ask to defer all repayments for whole of 2020!



goldstone

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
7,131
I believe the business case was based on a significant amount of repeat business. That was never going to happen. A perfect example of a business case being prepared to match the desired outcome. And remember there was even a special bus service from the station to i360 as they were clearly expecting significant numbers of people to come into town just to visit the i. It lasted a matter of weeks. The whole thing was a stitch-up. The money should have been put towards reconstructing the West Pier.
 




Munkfish

Well-known member
May 1, 2006
11,885
I believe the business case was based on a significant amount of repeat business. That was never going to happen. A perfect example of a business case being prepared to match the desired outcome. And remember there was even a special bus service from the station to i360 as they were clearly expecting significant numbers of people to come into town just to visit the i. It lasted a matter of weeks. The whole thing was a stitch-up. The money should have been put towards reconstructing the West Pier.

It should have been put towards something useful for the local community not a complete eyesore that benefited locals in absolutely no way what so ever. It adds absolutely nothing to the seafront.
 


BBassic

I changed this.
Jul 28, 2011
12,413
It should have been put towards something useful for the local community not a complete eyesore that benefited locals in absolutely no way what so ever. It adds absolutely nothing to the seafront.

You get a better view from Devil's Dyke than you do from that sodding tower. And the bus out there is cheaper.
 


B-right-on

Living the dream
Apr 23, 2015
6,207
Shoreham Beaaaach
With BA finishing their sponsorship at the end of the month it's been announced that the new sponsors are no one.

But it will have a new logo.

According to that article the Council got £700k last month from them as a 6 monthly payment to debts. Looks possible that it's making money that's not being snaffled by BA now.
 


Pevenseagull

Anti-greed coalition
Jul 20, 2003
19,722
According to that article the Council got £700k last month from them as a 6 monthly payment to debts. Looks possible that it's making money that's not being snaffled by BA now.
I'm not sure BA were taking any money from it as sponsors . I may be wrong.

and isn't that any cash in the business from the peak season ignoring that they are not repaying the debt?

Again, I may be wrong. Not as wrong as the people who thought it was a good idea, but my own little wrong that isn't a waste of tens of millions of pounds.


EDIT: next payments are £900K in December and £600K in June.
However it has debts of £47 million.

I don't know how these things work but IF they were looking to pay off the debts in 15 years at 6% that's roughly £400K per month.

Say £5million a year.

The most number of visitors was about 500,000 in the first year. So they'd need to make £10 average net from every visitor and equal their record year in year out
 
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Bold Seagull

strong and stable with me, or...
Mar 18, 2010
29,841
Hove
It should have been put towards something useful for the local community not a complete eyesore that benefited locals in absolutely no way what so ever. It adds absolutely nothing to the seafront.
It was central government loan toward a capital investment project. That loan wouldn't have existed just for the council to have done something locally, it had to be something significant. It's not like the council had £37m to spend on other stuff and decided to stick this pole up. The whole pitch to the council was that it shouldn't cost them anything, will pay for itself and regenerate that part of the seafront - which it has. Wasn't just the council that supported it either, the West Pier Trust threw their support behind it as the best way to see the pier redeveloped.
 


Weststander

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Aug 25, 2011
64,395
Withdean area
I still like it, giving incredible views of this fantastic city and beyond.

The seafront east of The Meeting Place has been completely transformed for the better from the rundown post war look it had in the 70’s and 80’s. 10,000’s of visitors every weekend or sunny weekday. The i360 is part of this.
 




Tom Hark Preston Park

Will Post For Cash
Jul 6, 2003
70,433
Fair enough, the i360 paid £700k of its loan repayments to the council at the end of June, but Argus reports it is going to default on its £900k payment due at the end of December


With the cost of living crisis ripping through the country now, can't see things getting any better for the i360 in 2023 sadly
 




Tom Hark Preston Park

Will Post For Cash
Jul 6, 2003
70,433
What a... thing. How much does it cost to ride it and how long is at the top?

Edit: Ok ticket price has been mentioned. But what do you get for it?
They seem to have made the offering slightly more attractive recently, but you're still looking at about £75 for a family of 4 for a 25 minute fairly dull ride. And when you consider its free to go on the Palace Pier, there's loads to see and do and you can stay on there as long as you like, its a bit of a no-brainer for the tourist pound

Screenshot_20221224-100723_Chrome.jpg
 




Westdene Seagull

aka Cap'n Carl Firecrotch
NSC Patron
Oct 27, 2003
21,125
The arse end of Hangleton
What a... thing. How much does it cost to ride it and how long is at the top?

Edit: Ok ticket price has been mentioned. But what do you get for it?
If memory serves me correctly you get to 'ride' for around 30 minutes. Slow climb up, a while at the top and then a slow descent. Once on you get 180 degrees of sea and 180 degrees of Brighton and Hove. Problem being that there isn't the things to see from up high like there is from say the London Eye or the Sky Garden in London.

It would be better named The Brighton Folly.
 


Tom Hark Preston Park

Will Post For Cash
Jul 6, 2003
70,433
Ha
If memory serves me correctly you get to 'ride' for around 30 minutes. Slow climb up, a while at the top and then a slow descent. Once on you get 180 degrees of sea and 180 degrees of Brighton and Hove. Problem being that there isn't the things to see from up high like there is from say the London Eye or the Sky Garden in London.

It would be better named The Brighton Folly.
Having said that, it does give some decent photo opportunities on a clear day. Here's one I took the last time I took some visitors on it (made slightly more affordable as you can buy a residents pass for £1 that gives you discounted rates)

Screenshot_20221224-102254_Facebook.jpg
 


Half Time Pies

Well-known member
Sep 7, 2003
1,411
Brighton
They seem to have made the offering slightly more attractive recently, but you're still looking at about £75 for a family of 4 for a 25 minute fairly dull ride. And when you consider its free to go on the Palace Pier, there's loads to see and do and you can stay on there as long as you like, its a bit of a no-brainer for the tourist pound

View attachment 154987
If you are a resident of Brighton and Hove tickets are half price.
If you are a tourist I doubt it would be a choice between the pier or the i360, theres a high chance that they would do both I would imagine. You might not pay to get in the pier but If you have children it normally ends up costing quite a bit!
 




jackanada

Well-known member
Jul 19, 2011
3,179
Brighton
The whole project only makes sense as a land grab by developers.
The key is that repayments are only to be made from profits from the "ride" not from the retail opportunities situated in the base.
 


Half Time Pies

Well-known member
Sep 7, 2003
1,411
Brighton
I still like it, giving incredible views of this fantastic city and beyond.

The seafront east of The Meeting Place has been completely transformed for the better from the rundown post war look it had in the 70’s and 80’s. 10,000’s of visitors every weekend or sunny weekday. The i360 is part of this.
This is a good point, you can't look at these things in isolation, It's part of a number of things that attracts tourists to Brighton and brings in money to the city.
I was down there this morning for the santa flight with the kids and walking around that area thinking how nice it is. In the summer that part of the seafront is absolutely packed with tourists.
 


drew

Drew
Oct 3, 2006
23,083
Burgess Hill
Been on it once and checked sunset times before booking so we got to see sun dip down over the horizon which made it a little bit special as we were lucky it was a clear day. Will probably do it again sometime but that would probably be about it.
 


Pevenseagull

Anti-greed coalition
Jul 20, 2003
19,722
Evidently the council have decided to carry out another urgent review of the debt.

I also note that, towards the end of the piece, the last review assumed that visitor numbers would increase in 2026.

Have these ****s thought about going on Dragons Den?

 




trueblue

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
10,465
Hove
Evidently the council have decided to carry out another urgent review of the debt.

I also note that, towards the end of the piece, the last review assumed that visitor numbers would increase in 2026.

Have these ****s thought about going on Dragons Den?

This was just so predictable - and so widely predicted. The regeneration argument holds up to examination fleetingly. That part of the seafront is greatly improved. How much though would they have needed to borrow to tart up the area without building the pole - 25% of that?

I appreciate the council probably had to agree to this flight of fancy to secure the funding in the first place and there’d need to be some way repaying the loan. But, for me, it falls into the ‘world’s gone mad’ category. Seems like a private company uses the council to obtain the money it needs, then takes the profit if the venture’s a success. If it fails, the taxpayer’s left with a slightly improved seafront (marred by what will become the world’s tallest rusty flagpole) and a gigantic bill. Surely I must be missing the bit where this somehow makes sense.
 




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