9 9 , ▁the ▁lif eb o at ▁station ▁installed ▁a ▁walk way ▁across ▁the ▁pier ▁to ▁allow ▁them ▁safe ▁access ▁to ▁the ▁island , ▁at ▁a ▁cost ▁of ▁£ 2 0 , 0 0 0 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁the ▁pier ▁was ▁sold ▁to ▁Manchester ▁company ▁Urban ▁S pl ash . ▁The ▁new ▁own ers ▁launched ▁a ▁competition ▁in ▁August ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁inv iting ▁people ▁to ▁submit ▁ideas ▁for ▁the ▁reg ener ation ▁of ▁the ▁pier ▁and ▁island . ▁At ▁the ▁time , ▁the ▁repair ▁work ▁required ▁was ▁estimated ▁at ▁£ 4 ▁million . ▁There ▁were ▁ 9 5 ▁entries ▁for ▁the ▁competition ▁from ▁around ▁the ▁world , ▁wh itt led ▁down ▁to ▁a ▁short list ▁of ▁six . ▁The ▁winner ▁of ▁the ▁design ▁competition , ▁Lev itate ▁Architecture ▁and ▁Design ▁Studio ▁Ltd , ▁was ▁announced ▁in ▁March ▁ 2 0 0 8 . ▁The ▁winning ▁design ▁included ▁a ▁dozen ▁lux ury ▁apart ments ▁and ▁a ▁ 5 0 - room ▁hotel . ▁ ▁In ▁August ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁the ▁Royal ▁Institute ▁of ▁British ▁Arch itect s ▁( R iba ) ▁announced ▁a ▁campaign ▁to ▁red es ign ▁the ▁buildings ▁on ▁the ▁island , ▁and ▁six ▁designs ▁were ▁submitted . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁designs ▁removed ▁the ▁existing ▁buildings ▁and ▁pi ers ▁to ▁replace ▁them ▁with ▁walking ▁paths , ▁and ▁added ▁a ▁large ▁cur vil ine ar ▁concrete ▁building ▁to ▁the ▁island . ▁The ▁design ▁called ▁for ▁many ▁windows ▁in ▁the ▁building