The restoration of Southport Pier should take ‘12 to 14 months to complete’ with Sefton Council ready to get underway with work as soon as they’re able to confirm the funding agreement with the Government.
It is too early in the process to work out a start date as yet.
The historic 1,108 m (3,635 ft) long structure, which was opened in 1860 and is the second longest pier in the country, has been closed since December 2022.
The Government announced in June that it will fund the restoration of Southport Pier, in the same week that it announced £10 million funding to create a new Town Hall Gardens space inspired by the families of Elsie, Alice and Bebe.
Sefton Council Leader Cllr Marion Atkinson spoke about Southport Pier on the ‘Hot Seat’ show on BBC Radio Merseyside this afternoon.
After admitting she was surprised by the funding announcement, made by Chancellor Rachel Reeves during her Spending Review, Cllr Atkinson said: “We had actively been for a number of years having these conversations with the Government.
“We knew how important it was for people.
“Our MP in Southport, Patrick Hurley, absolutely smashed it.
“We need to see the details for this, but we are ready to go.
“We are ready to go within six to eight weeks.
“I think it will take 12 to 14 months from start to finish. There is a lot of work to go into it.
“We are absolutely wanting to get in with it.”
Plans are being made to make the structure stronger, but the look of Southport Pier should be very similar when it reopens.
Cllr Atkinson said: “There will be a different kind of structure. I don’t know the full details, that is being worked through. But we have learned lessons.
“Ideally it will be similar to what it is, but the structure of Southport Pier will be more sound.”
Speaking in Parliament in June, Chancellor Rachel Reeves pledged that the Government will establish a Growth Mission Fund to “expedite local projects that are important for growth but have been forgotten”, such as Southport Pier, Kirkcaldy’s seafront and High Street, and a new sports quarter in Peterborough.
Cllr Marion Atkinson said at the time: “We welcome the Chancellor referencing Southport Pier today as part of the spending review.
“As a Council we have said we are ready to go as soon as funding is secured and we look forward to finding out more detail about the Growth Mission Fund in due course.”
Earlier this year, a poll revealed that 97% of people in Southport want Southport Pier to be restored and reopened.
Nearly 1,700 people have responded to the poll, since it was held on the Stand Up For Southport Facebook group.
It shows an overwhelming desire by local residents to see the iconic landmark reopened as they appeal for the funding needed.
A public meeting held at Silcock’s Pier Restaurant earlier this year was packed with local residents and businesses calling for the historic attraction to be reopened.
Southport Pier, which opened in August 1860, is the second longest pier and the longest iron pier in Britain.
It has been closed since December 2022, however hopes of it being restored have grown since Sefton Council submitted a planning application last year outlining how the pier can be restored – as long as sufficient funding can be secured.
The 165-year-old Southport Pier is the second longest pier in the country.
In 2024, Sefton Council’s Tourism team and RAL Architects submitted a full planning application seeking Listed Building Consent for the replacement and repair works to deck and supporting steelwork including refurbishment and reinstatement of handrails and seating pavilions to Southport Pier. Permission has been granted.
In the document, they said: “Southport Pier continues to be a cherished landmark, celebrating its historical legacy while with Sefton’s Council’s commitment and vision it will return as a vibrant hub for leisure and tourism.”
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