Plans for the pier first appeared in late 1866 in
The London Gazette and construction was authorised by the ''''''. The pier re-opened on 1 December 2011 under the ownership of local businessman Alistair Clugston, with the front section being renamed the Tides Bar & Restaurant. The large hall continues as a nightclub, but with a 21-year age restriction. The
London Evening Standard for 12 December 2012 carried a half-page advertisement offering Cleethorpes Pier for sale by auction on 2 February 2013. At auction on the pier, it failed to reach its guide price of £400,000. However, a "venture partnership" had since purchased the pier for above the guide price and would take possession on 30 April 2013. In late May 2013 the pier was again on the market after the purchaser failed to meet the conditions of the sale. The owner said he was also willing to rent the pier to anyone interested. In July 2013, local businessman Bryan Huxford purchased the pier for Community use and it has since re-opened to the public. Future plans for developing the structure were unveiled that November. The pier closed in late 2014 so that refurbishment could begin, but did not start until March 2015 with an expected re-opening date of July 2015. The pier reopened in August 2015. The venue then held the 1873 restaurant offering fine dining, The Promenade, a public house that served traditional pub food and The Victoria Tea room for afternoon tea and dishes from a bistro menu. The historic venue also hosted live entertainment and held many functions and conferences ranging from weddings and birthday parties to corporate events. In September 2016, the pier was again put up for sale, and was purchased by the
Papa's Fish and Chips chain for an undisclosed fee in December 2016. It then re-opened in time for the 2017 season, when it claimed to be the largest fish and chip restaurant in the country. ==See also==