Closed English pier reveals massive £20million restoration ahead of reopening
ONE of the longest piers in the UK has unveiled its latest restoration update after being forced to close four years ago.
Southport Pier in Merseyside has been closed since 2022 after being deemed unsafe but is currently undergoing a huge £20million restoration project.
As part of the project, sections of the pier are being stripped back including the decking.
There will also be replacement steelwork, such as restoring the existing handrails and tramlines.
A total of 27 lighting arches have been removed as well as a half-way house and kiosk that have been taken down.
The pier, which is one of the longest in the UK and dates back to 1860, will undergo construction and reconstruction work until around September next year.
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Sefton Council previously 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.
“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.”
The pier originally opened in 1860 but the pavilion was destroyed in 1897 by a fire.
Another fire damaged the deck in 1959.
Then in 1975, it was awarded a Grade II listed status and a £7million tramway was added in 2002 running along the pier.
Notably figures associated with the pier include Charlie Chaplin, who performed there during his early career.