User:Seaweed/Marina

Chronology

 * 1968: Brighton Marina Act 1968
 * 1979: Official opening
 * March 1998: Bowling alley opening

Brighton Corporation purchased the foreshore at Black Rock from the Crown Estate Commissioners for £50,000 on 1 March 1972. On the same day the land was leased to the Brighton Marina Company for a period of 125 years.

Marina architect: David Hodges

So who are the backers of this worrying scheme? In the first place, we have the directors of the Marina Compnay itself, the gentlemen who hold the equity and who are putting up about 10 per cent of the cash. Many of these gentleman are also involved in themanagement of the large finance and insurance companies who are putting up the rest of the cash and taking on the whole a low rate of interest of about 10 per cent. The chairman of the Marina Company is Mr David Evans, who is also a director of Phoenix Assurance, the company of which he used to be investment manager. Mr Evans owns 37,500 shares in the Marina. Phoenix Assurance is a major backer of the marina through its holdings in Westmoreland Investments. Westmoreland's growth owes much to the gifted property developer Mr Boris Marmor, who also created Spey Investments with a Mr Charles Gordon.

In 1969, Spey took over the Marina's first backer, Allied Land. mr Richard Hodges, a director and major shareholder in the Marina Company, is also a director of Westmoreland and Allied Land. (His brother, David Hodges, is one of the Marina architechts with the Louis de Soissons partnership.) While Spey was taking over Allied, Spey was backed by Phoenix Assurance, Williams Deacons Bank, the Electricity Suplly Industries Superanuation Scheme, the investment manager of Uniliver's Pension Fund and a director of Barclay's Bank. in 1970, Sir Paul Chambers became a Spey director. He was also a director of National Westminster Bank and the Royral Insurance Company. Many of these major and prestigious bodies, such as NatWest, Phoenix, Royal Insurance, the Electricity Suplly Superannuaution Fund and Westmoreland are now the Marina Company's backers.

Evening Argus Marina Supplement, Wednesday May 30 1979

Taylor Woodrow advert page v

Teamwork, technology, and technique behind Brighton Marina

Brighton Marina stands out as one of the major engineering projects in recent history in the United Kingdom. We believe that its amenities will make a major contribution to the future of Brighton.

We are responsible for the design and construction of the two breakwaters - the Marina's main sea defences - which are made up 110 linked caissons, each 12.5 metres in diameter and weighing up to 625 tonnes, positioned in adverse open sea conditions.

We constructed the quay which forms the north boundary between the inner and the outer harbours; a non-tidal basin within the inner harbour for mooring yachts and the sea lock which links the two. Our teams also floated two concources 160 metres long, 9.6 metres wide and weighing 2,100 tonnes each into place in the outer harbour without a hitch - a unique acheivemtn in itself.

We are proud of the teamwork, technology and technique that have it all possible.

Architects: Louis de Soissons Partnership in association with Overton and Partners. Consuluting engineers: Lewis & Duvivier, Ove Arup & Partners, Bertin & Partners.

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page ii

The marina story...

The National Westminster Bank, Royal Insurance, Electriciy Supply Nominees, Westmoreland Properties and EMI have between them put in £49m, that the marina has cost so far.

David Hodges was of Louus de Soissons.

-- page v

The marina as I see it  by J.P. Perkins, D.S.C, managing director Btn mrn comp

The Jetfoil terminal since April 27, the Seajet operating thrice daily on 100 minute jounrey lining Brighton with Dieppe.