Brighton Palace Pier boss plans to reopen attraction in April

And, with the announcement of the Prime Minister's "roadmap" to lifting lockdown restrictions finally announced this week, they finally have a date to aim for... April 12.

"We are very happy to see the businesses of Brighton preparing to reopen, and to be reopening alongside them. The city will be reborn," Brighton Pier Group chief executive Anne Ackord said.

"The pier is a symbol for the city. If you look at photos of Brighton, it is often the pier which will be the focus.

Brighton Pier by Michael Bingham. ..Argus Camera Club posts for September..

"We have had a lot of people asking "when are you reopening" and "when can we come back'.

"We are just as excited as they are."

The famous gates will swing wide for the first time this year on April 12, the day outdoor attractions such as amusement parks will reopen. As a result, people will at last be able to take a stroll along the famous decking.

"April 12 will be an amazing day," Ms Ackord said, "I wish it was sooner.

"It will be wonderful to see the gates open again."

Anne Ackord, chief executive of the Brighton Pier Group

The food stalls in the forecourt will open even sooner, offering takeaway food and drink from the middle of next month as better weather rolls in.

Rides will reopen on April 12, with the bars and restaurants on the pier able to serve customers outside.

Then, on May 17, the attraction will be able to reopen in full with indoor features such as arcades and soft play made accessible to visitors.

While the pier's 200 or so staff are now counting down the days until Brighton Palace Pier welcomes visitors again, they also cannot wait to return to the site themselves.

"The most important thing for us is to get the team back to work," Ms Ackord said.

• READ MORE: Brighton Palace Pier named as one of the top attractions in the UK by TripAdvisor

"These are guys who have predominantly been at home for a year, on furlough. We keep in touch through a weekly newsletter, but it's tough sitting at home.

"It's very hard to have no structure, so at last this latest announcement has given us hope."

The pier has been forced to close throughout the three lockdowns imposed over the last 12 months.

Bosses have repeatedly been told they can reopen before being ordered to shut down again as the tumultuous coronavirus crisis rumbled on. This was particularly challenging last winter when Sussex flitted between Tier 1,2 and 4 restrictions, as well as national measures.

Brighton pier. Picture: Scott Miller

Ms Ackord said: "When we had the Christmas period it was a case of, 'open, close, open, then close again on Boxing Day'.

"Now we are desperate to rid ourselves of the horrors of lockdown.

"What people don't always appreciate is how much effort and work it takes for hospitality businesses to make themselves Covid-secure, only to be told, 'You can't open'.

"We are hoping this is the end of lockdown and, by the middle of May, the whole of the pier will be open again so we can start to build back up.

"And we hope that everyone will come back and see us when we have all regained out freedom."

Brighton Pier at sunset in December.

A DJ set live-streamed from the pier's sunset garden on Easter Sunday will get customers in the party spirit ahead of the reopening.

Though this can only beattended virtually, there are plenty of in-person events planned at the site over the months that follow.

Live football will be shown on the attraction's big screen during the European Football Championships, and there are several "big names in store" to perform on the pier this summer, Ms Ackord teased.

"We have also teamed up with several local organisations to present a Big Brighton Summer Festival which will include 'Shakespier on the Pier', she said.

"Following the Euros in June, which will be shown free on our big screen, we will have plays, concerts, magic, children's events and much more throughout the festival."

Brighton Pier - Karen Clark

Currently, the Brighton Palace Pier maintenance team are putting the finishing touches to the attraction after keeping it in tip-top shape throughout lockdown.

Ms Ackord said: "Right now, we are mainly focused on getting everything ready. We have managed to do a lot of maintenance work while closed; replacing the decking, checking the rides, updating the electrics, painting the 'Crazy Mouse' ride.

"One thing you can't do with a pier is forget the maintenance, you can't just leave it for a year, it needs looking after.

Brighton Pier

Covid-secure measures will remain in place when the venue reopens, including a one-way system and hand sanitising points dotted across the site.

"We are not going to abandon the safety measures," Ms Ackord said.

"But we are so excited to get back to doing what we, and Brighton, do best, particularly if going abroad is made difficult this year as it looks like it will be.

"Then, where better to visit on holiday as part of a staycation than Brighton?

"There is nowhere better. And every business needs that boost."