Pupils from Coatham Primary School joined Cllr George Dunning at the Beacon's Seasons cafe to sing Happy Birthday and cut a special birthday cake
Some love it, some hate it - but there’s certainly no ignoring it.
And on Friday, the structure formerly known as the vertical pier, the Redcar Beacon, celebrated its first birthday, having opened to the public on March 28, 2013.
Back in 2009, Redcar and Cleveland Council announced plans for an 80ft high tower, or “vertical pier”, as the focal point for a huge seafront regeneration scheme.
From the start, it attracted its fair share of bouquets and brickbats, with some loving its striking appearance and others labelling it a monstrosity.
Even the “vertical pier” label proved controversial and prompted a competition to find it a name, with more than 500 names - including some unprintable ones - suggested and Redcar Beacon eventually coming out on top.
And last year, independent councillor Steve Kay branded it “little more than an 80ft high lavatory block,” claiming the visitor numbers were inflated because they included people just going to the ground-floor toilets.
But it has many fans too, with many people enjoying a meal at the ground floor cafe before heading up to the viewing platform, with its stunning, 360 degree views of Redcar.
View gallery View from the top of the Redcar Beacon
View gallery
And Redcar and Cleveland Council leader, Councillor George Dunning, remains defiant that the beacon has proven “a real hit with the public,” with just under 200,000 visitors so far.
He said: “The overall feedback has been really positive since it opened and I am delighted to see visitors coming from as far afield as Australia and Abergavenny.”
To celebrate its first year, pupils from Coatham Primary School joined Cllr Dunning at the Beacon’s Seasons cafe to sing Happy Birthday and cut a special birthday cake.
Entry remains free and it is open from 9am-5pm each day. From Good Friday, it will open from 9am-7pm.
And studio space is available to rent for creative businesses to work from and showcase their work.
Contact charlotte.allen@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk.
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