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London could be getting two brand new tourist attractions and retail hotspots. Plans have been revealed to transform some of the capital’s ‘dated’ piers into a ‘state-of-the-art’ shopping destinations.
Festival Pier by the South Bank Centre and Greenwich Pier near the Cutty Sark have both been earmarked for potential transformation by TfL. The transport bosses want to turn the areas into money makers while allowing them to continue serving boats.
The Standard reported that both piers currently operate at a net cost to TfL, and need to be turned around to stop the transport authority from losing money. Under the proposals, private companies would partner with TfL to redevelop the piers, turning under-used pontoon space into retail or themed experiences. One proposal even suggested moving Greenwich Pier to make it more stable.
A paper outlining the plans said: ‘Some of our piers are in need of modernisation and we want to reimagine these spaces with private investment to be state-of-the-art passenger spaces, with interesting new brand partnerships.
‘We are looking to enhance the long-term future of our piers, maximise capacity and investigate ways to generate revenue to reinvest into our transport network, including river services.’
TfL stressed that the plans are still in very early stages.
‘Both piers have the potential to be used for a variety of additional services, in addition to their existing role in enabling river travel,’ said David Panayiotou, TfL’s Head of River Services.
‘We are keeping an open mind about options for both piers as we carry out initial engagement with businesses to ensure we can maximise the benefits of any potential partnerships.’
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