Riviera Consortium has received preferred bidder status from Bournemouth Borough Council for the redevelopment of the town's pier.

The £10m regeneration plan incorporates the Showbar building as well as the pier, with all structures designed by John Seifert, creator of the world's 6-star Hilton Hotels.Occupying the same footprint of the current Showbar building, a new gateway feature will include three floors of restaurant/café/bar areas, a hi-tech corporate media suite and hospitality dining area and an open piazza for daily entertainment.

The pier itself will feature a themed complex at its far end, incorporating a Jurassic Coast experience; Planetarium; pirate cove experience and other cultural entertainment.The remaining areas will provide for all-weather visiting, with entertainment by quality buskers, portrait artists, jazz musicians and market-style traders.

Andy Price, chief executive of the Riviera Consortium, said: We are delighted that Riviera's proposals have been ratified and the company given preferred bidder status. We now want to get our plans underway to create a pier that the whole of Bournemouth can be proud of.He continued: Blackpool has a £1bn investment programme under way, Brighton has a £30m investment programme and now Bournemouth has its own programme in place. We anticipate that our scheme will attract increased visitors and additional investment for Bournemouth, resulting in increased revenue for local businesses. Details: Liz Lean PR, +44 (0)1202 701828