It has been revealed today that it will cost £3million to replace rotting planks along the length of Southport Pier.
In May, Stand Up For Southport reported how the entire decking along the pier must be replaced due to rotting from within, with the work carried out in phases. Sefton Council said earlier this year that the entire pier surface “has now reached the end of its life”.
Due to the scale of the reconstruction, the local authority is now urging a “comprehensive decking replacement programme” to be carried out as soon as possible. The repairs are forecast to take 12 months to carry out.
In his report to councillors, Sefton Council Executive Director (Place) Stephen Watson wrote: “The recommendation is now to replace the entire decking after the 2022 summer season from October 2022 with most works taking place in the Winter to ensure the Pier is fit for purpose, remains safe, and continues to be a critical historic asset for Sefton.”
The historic Grade II Listed Victorian era structure, which first opened in August 1860, is the oldest iron pier in the country. It is one of the five remaining seaside piers in Lancashire, alongside St Annes on Sea Pier, Blackpool North, Blackpool Central and Blackpool South. Its length of 1,108m (3,635 ft) makes it the second-longest in Great Britain, after Southend Pier.
The work will be funded by borrowing, with an urgent need for the work to be carried out.
Stephen Watson wrote: “The cost of the borrowing for the scheme is estimated to be £0.178million per annum over 25 years.
“There is no existing budget provision for this at present, therefore this will have to be built in as a growth item within the council’s medium term financial plan from 2023/24, with funding to be identified during the budget process.
“Due to the immediacy of the work this cannot wait until next March for decision there will also be an impact on the Tourism revenue budget for the length of the works if the Pier is to be closed due to potential loss of rent from the pier concession.
“There is already an ongoing impact due to the pier road train (“the Train”) being suspended until the full timber deck is replaced.”
On 19th May 2022 Sefton Council approved £206,000 funding for phase 1 of the pier deck replacement (bays 1-6, an area of 866 sqm, 9% of the total Pier). The council is now keen to repair the remaining 8,806 sqm of the Pier too, but recognises that the current spiralling inflation is likely to push up the cost of the repairs needed.
Stephen Watson wrote: “Southport Pier is a critical visitor attraction that holds significant importance to Sefton’s economy and brand. It is also a Grade-II Listed structure.
“As part of the routine maintenance, it became apparent the pier decking was starting to fail in isolated areas, therefore several detailed inspections from timber experts have taken place.
“The recommendation is now to replace the entire decking after the 2022 summer season from October 2022 with most works taking place in the Winter to ensure the Pier is fit for purpose, remains safe, and continues to be a critical historic asset for Sefton.”
Do you have a story for Stand Up For Southport? Please message Andrew Brown via Facebook here or email me at: mediaandrewbrown@gmail.com
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