Major seaside tourist attraction ‘to be transformed into UK’s highest WETHERSPOONS’ after it closed down for good
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A MAJOR seaside tourist attraction could be "transformed into the UK's highest Wetherspoons" - after it closed down for good. A campaign for the pub giant to acquire the Brighton i360 has been launched following the landmark's closure last week. The owners of the 531ft-tall observation tower, Brighton i360 Limited, went into administration - leaving the landmark empty until new buyers are found.
![[The i360 is 531ft-tall observational tower on Brighton beach]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2016-attraction-worlds-tallest-moving-244885978.jpg?strip=all&w=640)
The petition was posted on change.org on Saturday, with the title: "Turn the i360 into a spoons". The poster wrote: "We can all agree that the i360 was a bit ****. Cheap pints are not. "So what I propose is that council pull their finger out and turn it into a spoons. Give the people what they want.".
![[The i360 opened in 2016 with funding from the local council]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/NINTCHDBPICT000826815137_afafeb.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Wetherspoons told The Sun they did not have any concrete plans to turn the tower into a pub - but locals remain optimistic. The petition has so far received 70 signatures, with 55 people signing the document just today. The Brighton beach attraction, dubbed "i-sore" by locals, has had a chequered financial past, with £51 million currently owed by its owners to Brighton and Hove City Council.
![[It is currently defunct after its owners went into administration]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/NINTCHDBPICT000738729646.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
It first opened in August 2016, with the help of £30 million's worth of funding from the council. City bosses claimed it would become an iconic global landmark attracting millions of tourists to the resort. But its first 12 months were plagued by mechanical and technical faults which caused the viewing pod to become stuck leaving visitors stranded high in the air.
![[The attraction was designed to bring 823,000 visitors in its first year]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/NINTCHDBPICT000746539119.jpg?strip=all&w=640)
