A 164-year-old pier that has been closed for three years could be brought back to life as the authorities plan to inject a whopping £13 million into its renovation. Southport Pier opened back in 1860 and has been a favourite spot for many Brits to soak in the stunning sea views.
Visitors could hop aboard the miniature railway, which zipped people down to the end of the pier for just a few pounds. However, the Victorian structure was closed in 2022 due to safety repairs, leaving many locals and tourists heartbroken. The three-year shutdown has ignited frustration among both residents and visitors, with many seeing the derelict site as a symbol of Southport’s fading charm.
One disheartened Brit even took to TripAdvisor in 2023, describing the town as “a very sad, neglected place for tourists and residents alike”. The necessary repairs estimated to cost a whopping £13 million reports Mirror Online.
Last month, Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed the pier would be eligible for cash from a new fund dedicated to speeding up ‘forgotten’ local projects. When she announced the funding boost in June, Ms Reeves described the pier as “an iconic symbol of coastal heritage” and said the investment would create jobs and new business opportunities.
Speaking on BBC Radio Merseyside, Sefton Council leader Marion Atkinson said the authority would be ready to start work on the pier ‘within six to eight weeks’ of receiving the Government funding.
She said: “We are absolutely wanting to get on with it. We will be looking at ways in which, if we can, to get it done as quickly as we possibly can. But, it does take a lot of time because there’s a lot of work.”
The Southport Pier’s FAQ page explained that the pier endured a UK-wide extreme cold weather snap at the end of 2022, which caused ‘further damage’ to its structural condition.
The council stated: “Following an inspection by a team of independent Structural Engineers, Sefton Council was told to close the pier to protect the safety of anyone working on it or visiting the iconic tourist attraction.
“A full and extensive independent structural survey was commissioned, the interim feedback from which has confirmed the need to keep the Pier closed until further extensive repair and replacement works are carried out.
“The final surveys state the same explicitly, and the Pier would no longer be insurable, so it had to be shut.”