Agenda item

Members received a presentation from the Head of Tower Bridge on developing the visitor experience and education offer at Tower Bridge.

During the discussion the following points were noted.

•           The lift runs fairly slowly in order to manage visitor numbers and dwell time and, following a recent overhaul, the lift at the South Tower was working. 

•           Capacity is further managed by the series of corridors at the Bridge and the ability to purchase tickets while queueing.  A system for timed ticketing was being introduced, likely for implementation when visitor figures reach above 1.2M.

•           The Tower Subway is used for access on special occasions but is not open to the public. This is not a City owned facility and therefore access is not within the corporation’s gift.

•           There had been some 700 resident visitors and, in common with similar attractions, they were required to show ID, with an address to obtain the residents’ discount.

•           Ongoing work on the ticket office and security will include queue management and disabled access.  Queues were fully staffed and provided an opportunity to engage with the visitors.  Furthermore, a visible queue is an effective promotion of the venue. 

•           Commemorations to mark the 125 Year Anniversary of the Bridge were underway. 

•           Members commended a very good project.