Brighton Marina
| Brighton Marina | |
|---|---|
 View over Brighton Marina |
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| Brighton Marina shown within East Sussex | |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BRIGHTON |
| Postcode district | BN2 |
| Dialling code | 01273 |
| Police | Sussex |
| Fire | East Sussex |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | |
Brighton Marina is an artificial marina situated in Brighton, England. It features a working harbour and residential housing alongside a variety of leisure, retail and commercial activities. The construction of the marina itself took place between 1971 and 1979, although developments within it have continued ever since. The marina covers an area of approximately 127 acres (0.51 km2).
Brighton Corporation purchased the foreshore at the Black Rock site 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. The architect of the original plan was David Hodges of the Louis de Soissons Partnership. Construction of the marina commenced in 1971 and was opened for use in 1978. The marina was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 31 May 1979. The original funders were the National Westminster Bank, the Electricity Supply Pension Fund and the Royal Insurance.
A SeaJet service ran from the Marina to Dieppe in France between 1979 and 1980. Two Boeing Jetfoils were used, with three "flights" per day. The service suffered from poor reliability of the Jetfoils in the early stages, was restricted due to mid-channel wave height, and suffered during the French fishermen's blockade of channel ports.
Brent Walker purchased the marina and adjoining land in the mid 1980s, and promptly sold off the land for more than they had paid for the whole deal, effectively getting the marina for free. George Walker kept his showpiece 72' staysail schooner "Rich Harvest" in the marina, but the yacht was later sold and used in the infamous "offshore off-licence" project.
Brunswick Developments purchased the marina for £9m from Brent Walker's receivers in 1996.
In 1992 there was a trial of summer-season passenger services to Fécamp, France, using a small catamaran ferry.
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Wikipedia