A new poll shows there is overwhelming support for the restoration and reopening of Southport Pier which has been closed since December 2022 and may cost £13m to fix. Andrew Brown reports
A new poll reveals that 97% of people in Southport want Southport Pier to be restored and reopened.
Nearly 1,700 people have responded to the poll, since it was held on the Stand Up For Southport Facebook group. It shows an overwhelming desire by local residents to see the iconic landmark reopened as they appeal for the funding needed.
This historic Grade II-listed attraction, which opened in August 1860, is the second longest pier and the longest iron pier in Britain. It has been closed since December 2022
Freezing temperatures had caused “significant and unavoidable damage” to the structure. It is estimated that bringing the pier back into use would cost around £13m. Sefton Council simply does not have that kind of money and is hoping for Government support.
However hopes of it being restored have grown since the council submitted a planning application last year outlining how the pier can be restored – as long as sufficient funding can be secured.
A total of 14% of respondents called for the pier to be reopened and for Southport Beach to be cleared of grass, as “they both go together”.
Speaking in the Stand Up For Southport group, Roy Horswood said: “Our pier is one of the oldest in the country and is the second longest. It has been an asset for the town for many years and it is a shame to see it in its present condition.”
Maria Jones said: “I went to Sopot in Poland in the summer. Everyone is happy to pay to go on their pier towards the upkeep. It was really busy.”
Brenda Porter said: “A seaside resort without a pier or family beach??? This is our heritage – please protect it.
“Councils have the privilege of both representing their locations and instigating change after listening to their community. So let’s get on with it.”
Last week Silcock Leisure Group, the family-run firm which has operated numerous leisure attractions in Southport and Blackpool for several generations, made its case for Southport Pier to be restored and reopened.
Head of operations Serena Silcock-Prince said: “Southport people have been through a lot. They deserve to see their Pier reopened.
“Since Southport Pier has been closed, it has affected every business in our town in a negative way. Everyone has suffered because of the closure.
“The publicity, both regionally and nationally, has been very damaging. Every time a headline is published saying ‘Southport Pier Closed’, some people read it as ‘Southport Closed’.
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“Reopening Southport Pier would give everyone such a huge boost. It is exactly what our town needs. Southport has always been about Southport Beach. Southport Pier. The amusements. Lord Street. All the attractions. We need our pier back.”
The 165-year-old Southport Pier is the second longest pier in the country.
Opened in 1860, it was designed by James Brunlees, a prominent civil engineer of the Victorian era.
The pier originally stretched 3,600 feet (1,100 meters) into the Irish Sea, providing a vital link for steamboats and facilitating tourism in the burgeoning seaside resort.