12 July 2018
Councillor Phélim Mac Cafferty, convenor of the Green Group of Councillors, has commented on the meeting of Policy, Resources and Growth Committee today that discussed options for the i360 attraction.
The meeting considered recommendations put forward to ensure the future sustainability of the i360. Councillors have been asked to accept a request to defer payments on the loan provided to the i360 in order to ensure more time is given for the attraction to boost visitor numbers and income.
The Greens sought to strengthen the existing proposals put forward by the Council, asking that further detail be made available on all the options to secure the future of the attraction. Greens also requested that assistance given to the i360 to boost their business model should be fully recovered with interest.
The Green proposals were accepted by all three parties.
Councillor Mac Cafferty commented:
“There can be no doubt that the i360 gives back to the city. It has been the catalyst for a boost in visitor numbers and created over 100 jobs. It has aided the regeneration of the seafront, which is crucial to the tourist offer of our city and contributed over £1m to the pot for repair of Madeira Arches. Since opening, it has generated £2.4m in additional income for the Council at a time of relentless budget cuts.
“Slowing down the loan will enable the i360 to continue to make these commitments to Brighton and Hove. However it is vital that the Council receives a guarantee that future payments are made. The Green Group has made amendments to the report recommendations, aiming to strengthen the proposed agreement with the i360. We want to see full detail of the options available to the Council in terms of the future of this key attraction.
“We also firmly believe that the cost of providing specialist consultants to support business improvement should be recovered fully, with interest, by adding this sum to the loan repayments. Supporting the i360 will be for the benefit of local businesses, residents and tourists alike and Council oversight is crucial.”