THE arrival of the i360 has revived hopes for a new West Pier and interested developers should come forward.

That is the message from the chief executive of the trust initially set up to save the relic as 150 years since the structure first opened is remembered.

Rachel Clark said: "The i360 has generated interest in a new West Pier. It would not be a restoration, it would be new. We would love to restore the original structure but sadly we know this is no longer possible."

She reiterated plans first mooted in February to see a new structure in place by 2026.

Speaking to The Argus she said: "In order to do that we are producing a development brief for interested parties to come forward and discuss."

But first the focus is on making the trust financially stable and restoring an original octagonal kiosk - one of six that sat on the pier past the entrance and flanked by two tollbooths.

There was a six year funding hiatus after the world financial colapse in 2008 which resulted in debts to pay. A £200,000 interest free loan from Marks Barfield [the i360 architects] needs to be paid back. The trust also needs to keep funds available to clear the sea bed when necessary. This was last needed in 2010 after the concert hall was removed from the structure, costing tens of thousands of pounds.

She said the trust is confident it will be financially secure again within the next few years thanks to the success of the i360.

And a sale of pier remnants in July made £5,000 which will go towards restoration work and projects. Costs also include Ms Clark's full-time salary. According to latest accounts, this costs the organisation £41,396 a year.

In return for leasing the land to the i360 on a 125-year agreement, the trust will receive between £100,000 and £250,000 per annum depending on its success rate, which will be used to pay off their hundreds of thousands of pounds of debt. The trust - a not-for-profit charity and limited company - was paid £70,000 during construction.

Trust membership, which had plummeted from 1,000 to a stable 350 at an annual cost of £10, is beginning to grow again. The land is now worth £1.4 million.

Ms Clark said: "We used to have a seafront office. We have lost our profile a bit since that closed. But we're beginning to attract new members again which is really nice.

"People are beginning to see the future - it is more opportunistic since the success of the i360. People have started to take an interest again in what we do now."

The kiosk restoration will cost around £1 million and a funding campaign will be needed. It would act as a heritage centre for visitors.

Ms Clark added: "When the pier first opened there were very few buildings on it apart from six kiosks placed along the pier. We managed to salvage two in the 1990s and they are in storage but because one is more damaged than the other we only have enough natural material to fully restore one kiosk.

"It is a major bit of work. There is a lot to do but we are quite optimistic that we could get it in place by 2020.

"The i360 combines the old and new and is respectful of the past. This will be nearby as part of the regeneration project of the area mostly funded by the council. They will work together very nicely. We see this combination as a chance to remember the past and look at the modern, present day."