Comparing Two Sea Front Developments in Brighton City - Essay Example

Recommendation Report Introduction Brighton is a magnificent city, which attracts millions of tourists annually. The city is located alongside the sea in the northeastern part of England. The city is famous for the beaches, which line with the Irish Sea. The city was started as a port at a time when sea transport was more popular than road transport. The city has been however, transformed into a tourist attraction site because of its magnificent structures, and catering services. The Brighton pier is another major attraction in the city that attracts thousands of tourists across the world (Bullock, 1999). The city has been going through extensive developments, especially sea front development aimed at enhancing tourist attractions. The developments include major restaurants and hotels in the city. This report aims at comparing two sea front developments in Brighton city, which are intended to attract more tourists. The report evaluates the cost of the projects, how the public responds to the projects, as well as, their sustainability. Background of the City Brighton is a main part of the Brighton and hove city, which were created from other towns of Brighton, hove, Portslade, as well as other villages. The city is located in the east Sussex County in the southern coast part of the Great Britain. The city was occupied as early as 1086, but it developed to sea bathing resort in the 18th century. The arrival of the railway in the city attracted day-trippers from London. The city has experienced rapid population growth over years to 160000 people by 1961 (Bullock, 1999). The current Brighton has a population of over half a million people with numerous tourist activities. A number of outstanding features attract thousands of tourists from all over the world. One of the major attractions is the piers. They consist of the palace pier and the western pier. The palace pier is the major attraction landmark consisting of funfair, restaurants, and arcade halls. However, the west pier is fast losing its popularity and value and there are plans to replace it with the i360 observation tower. However, the construction of the tower was yet to begin by October 2006 despite it being approved by the council. The first electric railway and the Brighton clock tower are other landmarks in the city, which are an attraction to many tourists. Presentation of Options The Brighton city has many opportunities for attracting tourists. However, it is necessary to evaluate the best project in the city, which will be beneficial to the community, as well the government. The Brighton pier is considered one of major tourist attraction in the region. The restaurants in the area are also a great attraction to tourists in the area. They offer seafoods that are directly obtained from the sea. It is however worth noting that the pier has more income and benefits than the restaurants. The services, which the restaurants offer are also necessary to maintain the heritage of the city. Comparison of Options Comparing between the restaurant projects in the area and the pier, it is evident that the pier is more beneficial and profitable than the restaurants. Many tourists visit the pier fro all over the world. The restaurants are also paramount in serving the visitors who visit the country. Potential Seafront Developments (restaurants) With the development of tourism in the region, came the development of hotels. The majority of the seafront hotels were constructed with the coming of tourism in Brighton. Major hotels like the King’s Hotel 1820, Jarvis Norfolk (Ramada), Bedford hotel and the Grand were all built in the 18th century when tourism starting growing rapidly in the city. The city was receiving approximately 250000 visitors per year who were using the electric train (Erredge, 1862). The number of tourists has grown over time to three million visitors every year Brighton pier. The entire Brighton city has more eight million visitors every year. The Brighton pier is 1722 ft in length and has been rated as a grade 2 building. Brighton city has been described as one of the most visited city in the United Kingdom. The Brighton pier has had a great impact on the Brighton city and has helped provide employment to many people. The presence of the pier has made Brighton city the place to be for many visitors to the United Kingdom. Brighton city has been described as the city by the sea or London by the sea. The presence of the pier and many tourists visiting the place has prompted the development of various five star hotels and restaurants in the city. The hotels and restaurants have been built near the sea and provide fresh foods, accommodation, and entertainment to the guests who tour the area. Some of the restaurants are engaged in fishing activities and their seafoods are fresh. This is a great attraction for tourists in the area. The seafoods can either be sold to the tourists for takeaways or can be eaten in the restaurants. One such facility is the Alfresco bar and restaurant in the milkmaid pavilion in Brighton England (Tripadviso, n.d). The restaurant is a destination for many tourists throughout the year. The restaurant is located a short walking distance from the west pier. The restaurant is one of the major seafront projects in Brighton. The location of the restaurant offers a clear view of the coastline (Tripadviso, n.d). This has helped the restaurant attract numerous tourists over years. Public Acceptance The residents of the city have welcomed the existence of the restaurant. The restaurant has provided employment to several people. The tourists who also visit the city, spend money on the bar and restaurant earning the country income. However, it is worth noting that the restaurant have some negative effects on the environmental. Much of the water pollution in the Irish Sea along Brighton has been attributed to the wastes that these restaurants produce (Enabledlondon, n.d). This has endangered the life of the marine animals like fish. Development of the restaurant resulted in the clearance of the vegetation. This lead to soil erosion, raising the water sea level as the soil is swept into the water. The effects of restaurants as compared to the pier are greater. It should however, be noted that the pier has also some negative effects to the environmental. The construction of the pier did not have much effect on the soil. The pier did not cause a lot of soil erosion during its construction as opposed to the restaurant (Planum, n.d). It has however, been accepted by the residents of the area. The catering services offered by the restaurant produced many waste products, which end up polluting the environment. The pier is a source employment, as well as a source of livelihood to many. The pier being one of the most visited places in the world is a source of income to the country. The Brighton city is nets a total of over 400 million Euros per year from tourism. Sustainability of the Restaurant and the Pier The sustainability of the pier, as well as the restaurant depends on the effects they have on the environment. The resources they use are from nature and they are therefore, obliged to protect that nature to ensure they continue to exist. The high pollution rate by the restaurant does not guarantee its sustainability. The pier however, with reduced pollution, can be sustained. The sustainability also depends on the benefits the structure brings. With the empire having more benefits than the restaurant, there is the likelihood that the pier can be sustained. Recommendation I would recommend that the pier be sustained because of the benefits the society accrues from it. The pier is a source of attraction for tourists and therefore, should be maintained. More marketing should be done to ensure that more tourists visit the site. The construction of a tower at the location where the west pier was should be hastened to attract more tourists. The existence of the Brighton pier, as well as the various restaurants in the city, has proofed to be beneficial to both the community and the government. However, it should be noted that the pier is more beneficial than the restaurant. It accommodates more tourists than the restaurants. The effects to the environment are minimal for the pier as compared to the restaurant. The pier was build long ago, and the cost of its construction is much lower than that of building the modern restaurants. References Tripadviso. (n.d). Alfresco Bar & Restaurant. Retrieved from http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g186273-d1073861-Reviews- Alfresco_Bar_Restaurant-Brighton_East_Sussex_England.html Planum. (n.d). Between sea and city: recent projects for seafront promenades. Retrieved from http://www.planum.net/between-sea-and-city-recent-projects-for-seafront- promenades Enabledlondon. (n.d). Brighton Pier. Retrieved from http://www.enabledlondon.com/default/5.venues/daysOut/brightonPier.htm Erredge, J. (1862). History of Brighthelmston, or Brighton as I view it and others knew it. Oxford: Oxford University press. Bullock, A. (1999). Brighton Pier. Sutton Read More