Silcock Leisure Group has welcomed the news that the £20 million restoration of Southport Pier has been given the go-ahead by the Government.
The Growth Mission Fund panel has now given its full approval to the business case submitted by Sefton Council for the full repair of the cherished local landmark.
Opened in August 1860, Southport Pier is the oldest iron pier in the country. Its length of 1,108 metres (3,635 feet) makes it the second-longest in Great Britain, after Southend Pier.
Southport Pier attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to the town every year and has been much-missed since its closure in December 2022.
Now that the green light has been given, contractor AE Yates can begin putting plans in place for repairs to start, with the project expected to take up to 16 months to complete.
The reopening of the pier will give a massive boost to local businesses across Southport. These include local family business Silcock Leisure Group, which operates several ventures on the Pier Forecourt, including Silcock’s Carousel, Silcock’s Funland and Silcock’s Pier Family Restaurant.
In January last year, Silcock Leisure Group organised a public meeting about Southport Pier, which saw hundreds of local people pack into the Pier Restaurant to call for action to be taken while also offering their support.
Silcock Leisure Group Head of Operations Serena Silcock‑Prince said:
“Seeing approval of the business case for the full restoration of Southport Pier is very exciting. It’s wonderful news for Southport. We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone in our town who supported the campaign to reopen Southport Pier and highlighted its plight. The whole community came together and has been really united on this cause.
“Southport Pier is such a much-loved landmark for not just Southport but also the whole of the Liverpool City Region, and beyond. It attracts so many families to Southport who love its health and wellbeing benefits – we’ve all missed walking along it. The public meeting that we held last year, along with the poll run by Stand Up For Southport which showed 97% of respondents wanting the pier to be restored, demonstrated the huge public support for this to happen.
“We’re very grateful for the determined support of Sefton Council and Leader Marion Atkinson, Southport MP Patrick Hurley, Southport Pier Trust, the Pier Society, local businesses and, most of all, the people of Southport who showed how much they wanted the pier to be reopened. I can’t wait to walk along Southport Pier again, and so many people are saying the same. We are really looking forward to seeing AE Yates contractors on site and restoration work taking place.”
The Southport Pier restoration comes alongside several other positive developments happening across the town.
Serena Silcock‑Prince added:
“There is a really positive momentum building in Southport now. We have Southport Pier being restored, the transformation of the Town Hall Gardens, plans to build the new Marine Lake Events Centre, work happening at sites including Leo’s Bar, the BHS Building and the former Southport Visitor Office, as well as a really packed programme of events throughout this year.
“There is a real sense of positivity in Southport now and an optimism that the town has a really bright future ahead. The news about Southport Pier has given everyone a real boost. We’re now looking forward to a really busy Easter holiday period and welcoming lots of visitors to Southport.”
Sefton Council has also welcomed the approval of its business case to the Government’s Growth Mission Fund, unlocking £20 million to repair, restore and reopen the historic local landmark.
Confirmed this week by the Growth Mission Fund panel, the decision means major works to restore the iconic Grade II listed structure can now get underway.
Southport Pier will undergo a comprehensive restoration programme that goes far beyond the original decking replacement plans approved three years ago.
Sefton Council’s successful funding bid follows extensive planning, structural assessments and public safety measures undertaken over the past two years. A detailed business case was submitted to the Department for Business and Trade, setting out the full scope of repairs, long-term maintenance needs and sustainability measures required to secure the pier for future generations.
Restoration work will include:
- Full replacement of decking boards and timber joists
- Extensive steelwork repairs and replacements due to corrosion
- Installation of new gates and CCTV
- Introduction of a robust long-term maintenance regime
Listed building consent is already in place, and the two-stage design-and-build procurement process has been completed, allowing works to begin swiftly.
For more information on Southport, click HERE.
Top image: Silcock Leisure Group Head of Operations Serena Silcock‑Prince and Southport Pier