As Chancellor Rachel Reeves indicates she will fund the £13m needed to save Southport Pier, owners of one of the town’s best-known businesses – Silcock Leisure Group – say ‘we’re so elated’. Andrew Brown reports
Owners of Silcock Leisure Group in Southport have hailed the announcement of funding to restore and reopen the Victorian Southport Pier as a huge boost to everyone in the town.
Silcock operates the historic Carousel in front of the Pier entrance – the ‘Golden Gallopers’ – which were built in 1901 and were last year voted as the fourth best seaside attraction in the UK.
The family-run firm, which has been entertaining families for six generations, also runs Silcock’s Pier Family Restaurant and Silcock’s Funland on the Pier Forecourt.
They have been part of a real community effort calling for Southport Pier to be reopened, and hosted a packed public meeting earlier this year looking at ways how it could happen.
It followed a poll on Stand Up For Southport in January which showed that 97% of local residents wanted the Pier to reopen, from over 1,700 respondents.
Dating back to 1860, the pier was closed to the public in December 2022 owing to the need for critical structural repairs. Sefton Council has estimated the cost of reopening to be around £13m.
In her Spending Review this week Chancellor Rachel Reeves indicated the Government was prepared to fund the restoration of the structure.
Silcock Leisure Group Operations Manager Serena Silcock-Prince said: “We are absolutely thrilled! It’s just the best news we could have wished for. It is an amazing boost for all the families and all the businesses here in Southport and across Liverpool city region.
“It’s wonderful news. Everyone in Southport will be celebrating. We’re all so elated. This is exactly what everyone in Southport wanted and deserved.
“Southport Pier is the main attraction in our town and it has been for so many generations, going back to when it first opened in 1860.
“Since then, it has attracted many millions of visitors of all ages who love walking along the Pier and looking out to sea, breathing in that fresh sea air. People come from all over the UK to walk along Southport Pier. We’ve missed it.”
Silcock also thanked Sefton Council and its leader, Cllr Marion Atkinson and RAL Architects for carrying out the survey on the pier and then drawing up a full planning application and securing Listed Building Consent.
READ MORE: Bebe, Elsie and Alice inspire £10m regeneration project
Serena added: “We’re also very grateful to the huge and constant support shown for the restoration of the Pier by the local community in Southport.
“This has been a real town effort. When we held our Southport Pier public meeting earlier this year, we quickly ran out of chairs. Everyone wanted to help. The room was packed and there was so much passion from people who wanted our pier back open again.”