Brighton West Pier on fire, March 2003. Brighton West Pier, Brighton, England, was built in 1866. After becoming derelict and unsafe, it was closed to the public in 1975. In December 2002, storms caused the walkway connecting the pavilion (left) and concert hall (right) to collapse, leaving the concert hall inaccessible from land. This meant that firefighters were unable to contain the fire that broke out in the concert hall on Friday 28 March 2003. A fire in the pavilion on 11 May 2003 completed the destruction, and storms in June 2004 brought about a further collapse. Both fires were thought to be arson. The plans to restore the pier are now in doubt.