ONE of the longest piers in the UK has taken the next steps to reopen.
Southport Pier was forced to close back in 2022 due to safety concerns over the stability of it.
However it was announced last year that £20million was being put into its reopening, and works have now started.
Local website Stand Up for Southport confirmed that contractors are now doing pre-construction work, with the full restoration expected to take up to 16 months.
This includes replacing the decking, as well as adding new gates and CCTV, while fixing the steelworks as well.
Sefton Council said: “The first task contractors will have is to assess the current condition of the existing paintwork on the structure’s columns. We want to ascertain if there has been any deterioration since previous assessments were undertaken.
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“If the condition is good it can be left as is, however if not we will also need to repaint the whole structure as part of the repair works.
“This pre-construction work will take at least five days to complete. Following this we’ll shortly be moving onto the ground investigation stage within the coming weeks, which checks the stability of the ground underneath and around the Pier for materials like scaffolding.”
Southport Pier is the oldest iron pier in the UK, dating back to 1860, and is the second longest (only behind Southend Pier).
However, the original pavilion was destroyed in 1897 by a fire, with another fire in 1959 damaging the decking.
It was later given Grade II listing in 1975. with a new £7million tram in 2002.
Councillor Marion Atkinson, leader of Sefton Council, previously said: “The Pier is a symbol of Southport’s identity, history, and now, thanks to the Council and Central Government, secured for the town’s future too.”
And it’s not just the pier that was at risk, but Southport’s beach as well.
New studies have found that the increase in sand will lead to increased vegetation – essentially turning the coastline into mud.