Sussex piers: Which ones are still free to visit this summer amid admission charge introduction at popular landmark

Brighton Palace Pier announced on Wednesday (May 8) that the new £1 fee will come into effect during peak trading periods in the summer beginning on May 25, and then cover the weekends during June and the full months of July and August.

The admission fee will not apply to local residents (who have a Brighton Palace Pier local residents card) or children under the age of two.

In an extended statement on its website, the Brighton Pier Group said the costs of supporting the structure have risen substantially. This year marks the pier’s 125th anniversary.

The decision to charge people to enter the pier has been met with anger on social media.

One Linkedin user wrote: “Brighton is expensive enough. Don't agree with this at all. Not sure how it is going to be policed and I think it will actually put people off.”

According to the money saving experts at Sambla, the most expensive pier to access is Clevedon Pier in Somerset – which charges entry of £3.35 for adults and £2.25 for children. The second most expensive pier in the UK is Southend Pier, which costs an adult £3 just for entry, and £2 for children.

A spokesperson for Sambla added: “Along with the price of Brighton, Palace Pier in East Sussex, Grand Pier in Somerset and Yarmouth Pier in the Isle of White also cost £1 for entry. In total 9 piers in the UK make you pay for entry, but a still high 34 piers remain free.”

However, most UK piers remain free to enter – including in Worthing; Bognor Regis; Littlehampton; Eastbourne and Hastings.

Why has Brighton Pier introduced a £1 admission charge?

The Brighton Pier Group said that, in the last five years alone, the cost of maintaining, repairing and operating Brighton Palace Pier has increased 31 per cent, an additional £2.7 million, taking the overall annual cost to £11.6 million.

A spokesperson added: “The admission fee will be critical in helping to meet the unique challenges and costs of preserving the pier’s structural integrity and fabric as well as continuing to remain open all year-round.”

Anne Ackord, CEO of Brighton Palace Pier, issued a statement to explain the new admission fee.

She said: “We see ourselves as the custodians of the pier. Many of our team, including myself live and work in Brighton and we understand first-hand the importance of the pier within our city.

"The pier is a substantial structure and in recent years, the costs associated with maintaining and operating it to the same high levels of upkeep, strength and structural integrity, have increased significantly.

"We have, to date, been able to offset and absorb these costs but we have now reached the point where, in our view, it is sensible to implement a small admission charge for visitors to the pier from outside the local area. The admission fee will be an important contributor to ensuring that our iconic pier is with us for generations to come.”