BEACH – A Promenade Pier for Redcar

Accreditation the Middlesbrough 24/08/1870.

A PROMENADE PIER FOR REDCAR

            On Friday night (21/08) a movement was quietly set on foot at Redcar, which, if energetically carried out, cannot fail to influence the future prosperity of that watering place in a greater degree than any undertaking of recent years. If you leading tradesmen met in the office of the Local Board of Health, and after a brief deliberation, a Provisional Directorate was formed for the purpose of promoting the construction of a landing and promenade pier, and £1170 was subscribed in the room. The un – ostentatious board of the preceding may be taken as an earnest that this final effort, as we may terminate it, on the part of the people of Redcar, to provide a pier for the town will not end in small as former movements to effect the same end have done, and a token of the sincerity of the gentleman composing the meeting is afforded by their prompt and liberal subscriptions. True, companies have formed, directorates appointed, and large sums subscribed for similar projects during the last few years, but it must be admitted that the meeting of Friday night was the most business-like ever held for the same object, and at no time was there so much likelihood that the Redcar pier Ward, after all, become au fait accompli. It is now generally felt that the time for talking has gone by, and most now or never be succeeded by a period of action. Most of our readers who reside at Redcar, audible annually make it their home for a brief period, will be aware that the Act of Parliament empowering the construction of a pier will expire next year, after having been in force five years. No time is to be lost, therefore, if this popular seaside resort is to be provided with that now indispensable adjunct to a fashionable watering place. The inhabitants of Coatham, encouraged by the apathy of Redcar, have been actively bestirring themselves, and the Coatham Hotel scheme embraces the attraction of a handsome pier in front of the proposed building. Whatever betide, therefore, it is evident that either courtroom of Redcar will have a pier before long, and upon which the boom is to be conferred depends upon the energy of the latter, and the public spirit with which it seizes the present opportunity. Certainly there is everything in the circumstances to give investors the most unbounded faith in the success of such an enterprise. As being nearest home we may cite the example of Saltburn, where an elegant pier has been erected at the cost of about £8000. On being completed last year it was only open to the public for a portion of the season, and in consequence a dividend of only 41/2 percent was declared. Being in full operation this year, and having the convenient hoist added, a dividend of 10% has been paid to the shareholders. With an era of average prosperity, to which we made justly look forward, there is no reason why a pier should not pay quite as well at Redcar. There is a much larger local population, and much more numerous annual influx of visitors, and it is also more extensively frequented by casual excursionists than Saltburn. The noble and unparalleled expanse of sand is stretching between these favoured marine resorts, terminating in the bold promontory of Huntcliffe, with the receding hills in the background, would form a charming landscape, as witnessed from a pier of Redcar, to say nothing of the advantage of having a promenade of universal resort, a meeting place for friends and acquaintances, the absence of which is a felt want amongst Redcar society. For some years Redcar has been rather lagging behind its younger and spirited rivals, Coatham and Saltburn, in the carrying out of needed improvements; and if it’s inhabitants would save it from sinking into the position of a third or fourth rate watering place, it behoves them to be up and doing. With its natural advantages and unrivaled beach it ought to yield the palm to know watering place on the north-east coast, Scarborough alone excepted, and we are glad to recognise an appreciation of this fact in the present scheme for the, destruction of a promenade Pier.