Work
is continuing at pace to carry out improvements at Clacton Pier in time for the
beginning of the new main season.
The
Ocean Diner is being completely gutted as part of plans to create a better access
through to the bumper boats and go-karts.
Eventually
most of the units in the middle of the eastern side of the attraction will be
removed to open the area up for customers.
The
Ocean Diner has been operating for ten years and was brought back into use when
the Ball family bought the Pier in 2009. It had been closed for four years.
There
has been a café in that area since the 1930s and it was originally known as the
Poolside Diner as it was next to an outdoor swimming pool.
The
timber decked area in the central concourse has now also been removed as part
of a £400,000 scheme to provide a large undercover multi-purpose area at the
front of the attraction.
Concrete
is being laid and large steel girders have arrived on site ready to be
installed as part of the sub-structure.
Pier
director Billy Ball said it is going to be another busy winter to make considerable
improvements to the offer.
“We
set a very high standard with the new £4 million development of Skull Point adventure
golf and Discovery Bay soft play which were completed in the summer,” he said.
“They
are proving very popular and we now want to bring other areas up to a similar standard.
The Ocean Diner was outdated and we now have the Galley Restaurant and Captain’s
Table Coffee Shop in Discovery Bay to replace it.”
The
Pier will remain open while this winter’s work is carried out and will only
close on Christmas Day.
