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Should the Government help save the UK Piers?
THIS year, once again, Southport faces the challenge of its most popular icon being closed to the public yet again.
Southport Pier is the second-longest pier in Britain. The pier was originally 3,600 feet long when it opened in 1860, but has been shortened over time due to storms and fires.
After the historic pier fell into disrepair throughout the late 20th Century, it faced demolition, only being saved by 1 vote in a Sefton Council meeting in 1990. Following the vote, due to the significant annual loss with rising maintenance costs, the Grade 2 listed structure still faced an uncertain future, and soon after, it was closed to the public.
A campaign was started to restore the structure, which was listed on 18 August 1975 by the National Heritage List for England, to bring it back to its former glory. In 2000, the campaign managed to get a major conservation program undertaken, and the landmark was reopened to the public in May 2002.
All looked good for the Peir, which had found a new lease of life. Sadly, the first signs of choppy water ahead came in June 2015, when the Southport Pier Tramway, which ran from Southport Promenade, had to be taken out of service. Only just a few years after it had been installed on the structure. and the custom-designed rolling stock was then sold for scrap.
Sefton Council, which owns and manages the structure, then started to see more issues popping up, due to poor workmanship and inadequate materials being used within the 2000 redevelopment of the structure. These poor quality issues resulted in widespread corrosion and defects that had serious implications for the iconic attraction, and under health and safety concerns, the pier had to be closed to the public.
Since 22 August 2023, the pier has been closed with no dates able to be given to when it might reopen.
Interestingly, even when the Peir last faced an uncertain future, the focus was only on costs to the Council and not to the wider community. Unsurprisingly, its long closure has clearly shown that the structure is a key asset to was local economy and its importance to the Town's identity. This has led to residents and local businesses trying to set up action groups, as the Council desperately keeps looking for funding.
The area was already suffering the effects of exceptionally high rises in cost, and the ongoing aftereffects of COVID-19 lockdowns were putting major pressures on local businesses. This closure had yet another significant impact on the local tourism industry. All these issues were only compounded by the unique issues it's facing since the Southport Attack in 2024.
All these issues have highlighted the need to yet again save the Peir, which is not only an important landmark for the Seaside Town, but also a major contributor to the local economy. This fundraising effort initially gained interest from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, but it has failed to progress, and other attempts by the Council to obtain the estimated £13 million required to fix it have currently failed.
The Towns Labour MP, Patrick Hurley, has taken to call on the Government to save the remaining UK's Piers from becoming:- "rusting relics" by setting up a National Peir Service. He has commented that:- "Southport is not alone in being unable to maintain or repair our famous pier. So many piers are dilapidated. We need a specific policy response to help save these structures. They've been standing in the sea for well over a century, and the saltwater takes its toll. If we don't act soon, it will soon be too late to save them. They are far more important to local areas in and around our seaside towns than people realise."
As Southport faces a 3rd Summer Season without the iconic landmark, plus the current redevelopment work taking place, along with environmental issues, plus many other problems, businesses are understandably concerned that the loss of this attraction might put tourists off revisiting in the future.
Do you have any ideas on how the Council might fund the restoration if it can't get Government help?
What are your thoughts on this issue Southport faces?
Do you like MP Patrick Hurley's idea for a National service to help protect these iconic seaside structures?
Please email us at:- News24@SouthportReporter.Com, and let us know or reply below...
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