COLWYN Bay’s pier is heading for council ownership - around 40 years after selling it.
The future of of the iconic landmark was thrown into confusion when trustees Royce Peeling Green washed their hands of the structure.
It is now temporarily in the ownership of the Crown Estates but at a meeting of Conwy County Borough Council’s Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee, council solicitors were given the goahead to continue negotiating with the Crown Estates with the aim of buying the pier.
In July the council set an upper limit of £35,000 for the purchase of the pier with the money coming from a grant from the Welsh Government.
If the council does manage to buy the pier its future re-development now appears to be back on track.
Cllr Brian Cossey, who represents the Colwyn ward, said he hoped the matter would progress quickly due to the narrowing window of opportunity for £3.5million of Heritage Lottery funding, which is set to close in November.
He said: “I know people are divided over what should happen but at the end of the day, the county council is the only body that can deal with it - whether refurbishment or demolition. Nobody else can take a decision on one way or the other.
“It’s just another chapter in the story.We’re all hoping for a quick response from the solicitors for the Crown. I’m sure they don’t want to hold on to an asset that someone else wants.”
Penny Davies, chair of the Pier Pressure Group, said that that they would continue to draft their business plan, and that the pier’s new ownership could be a blessing for its future.
She said: “We’ve been told not to worry and proceed with our plans. It may turn out to be the better option, as it might be cheaper buying it from the Crown.”