Way to go, Hastings!

Dr Anya Chapman, of the National Piers Society, says: "The seaside piers around the coast of Britain stand as a powerful reminder of the achievements of Victorian engineers and entrepreneurs."

"However, with the expansion of the railways in the mid 19th century, piers gradually became places of entertainment with bandstands and the popular pastime of promenading from the 1860s to the early 1900s, which was the boom period in pier-building," says Chapman, who is also programme leader for tourism management at Bournemouth University.
So what is the economic and cultural significance of piers, and why are they worth saving?............................

The economic argument for piers is also compelling. "Piers," says Chapman, "have a wider social and economic benefit in attracting footfall and acting as an anchor on the seafront."..........................

http://www.theguardian.com/social-enterprise-network/2013/sep/11/community-owned-piers