Commenting on the news that Mr Stephen Hunt’s trustee in bankruptcy is seeking to disclaim Colwyn Bay pier as an onerous asset, Clwyd West MP David Jones, said:
“This is an extremely worrying development.
“The council resolved several weeks ago to seek to purchase the pier from the trustee. It would appear that this now cannot proceed.
“The trustee has apparently decided to disclaim on the basis of a recent report of structural problems at the pier. However, the pier has now been in his hands for over three years and its poor condition has always been patently obvious.
“Furthermore, there was an engineer’s report some months ago which indicated that the cost of restoring the pier would be several million pounds. It was consequently fairly clear that the pier was very probably a negative asset.
“People will therefore want to know why the trustee has left it so late in the day to seek to disclaim the asset and I believe they are entitled to an explanation.
“I am also very concerned over the conduct of Conwy Council in this matter. On 20 April 2011, I had a meeting with Mr Hunt, Councillor Brian Cossey and senior council officials, which was very positive and which seemed to establish a way forward, whilst minimising the financial exposure of the council and local taxpayers.
“However, at a later meeting with other councillors on 20 May, I was dismayed to be told that the council would not proceed with the arrangement proposed at the earlier meeting and had instead decided to try to buy the pier. That decision was subsequently ratified by the full council.
“The decision of the trustee in bankruptcy now means that that purchase cannot go ahead. It may also be that the pier will vest in the Crown as bona vacantia, in which case it is very likely that the matter will not progress for several months.
“The consequence of this will be that it will be impossible to proceed swiftly with grant applications to potential funders. Furthermore, the window of opportunity for applying for regeneration money will soon be closing.
“The further consequence may well be that the council will be obliged to exercise its statutory powers to address the rapidly-deteriorating condition of the pier. The cost of this –which will probably be very substantial indeed – may well fall upon the council taxpayers of Conwy.
“For almost the last two years, I have been urging Conwy Council to engage properly with Mr Hunt. Whilst it gives me no pleasure to criticise the council, I have to say that its conduct of this issue (with the honourable exception of Councillor Cossey and some other senior councillors and officials) has been woefully inept.
“I again urge Conwy to be proactive in this matter, to enter into discussions with Mr Hunt and to try to find a way forward for the benefit of the people of Colwyn Bay. The consequence of not doing so will be expensive and may well also be the loss of the pier.
“I am quite prepared to make as much time as may be necessary available to help.”
