'Vertical Pier' Renamed (From Darlington and Stockton Times)

Redcar pier renamed vote

5:44pm Sunday 9th September 2012 in News By Chris Webber, Reporter (Stockton/Hartlepool)

THE North-East’s newest landmark was officially unveiled as day-trippers enjoyed the last of the summer at the weekend.
A striking new building at on Redcar seafront was officially named The Redcar Beacon following a public vote.
The 80ft structure, which forms the centrepiece of a £75m regeneration of Redcar seafront, was given the working title of the 'Vertical Pier' but that name was rejected by the public partly as there is a campaign for a real pier to be built in the town.
Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council ran a naming survey and the Redcar Beacon was the winner. Voters had the choice of nine names and The Redcar Beacon polled 156 of the 939 votes cast, triumphing ahead of Lemon Top Tower with 133 and Vertical Pier in third place on 129.
The Redcar Beacon, which cost £1.6m with money coming from the Regional Development Agency, One North East and the European Union, will not be open to the public until next year. There will be a viewing platform, ground-floor café and workshop space for creative industries. The Redcar Beacon is a part of the council's plans to breathe new life into the town, which has seen visitor numbers plateau at about a million per year over the past decade. Other works planned for Redcar include a £31m Leisure and Community Heart project and a £4.9m youth centre and £30m sea front strengthening and promenade improvement works.
Councillor Olwyn Peters, Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Tourism, said: "The Redcar Beacon is a brilliant new attraction.”
The sun brought out visitors to tourist spots across the North-East on both Saturday and Sunday. However the Met Office in London confirmed the sunny weekend was probably the last of the summer.
A spokesman said the temperature in the North-East would drop from about 23 degrees yesterday to about 19 degrees today. It will be cloudy and sometimes rainy all week.