AE Yates picked for £13m Southport Pier refurb
Sefton Council has landed on its team to deliver the project but the authority has yet to secure all the funding needed to make a start.
The pier was closed almost 18 months ago to allow for experts to inspect safety concerns at the seaside structure, and refurbishment is now slated to cost more than £10m, on top of the £3m the authority has already agreed to borrow.
Investigation work has already been carried out by AE Yates, including an exploration of the Pier’s steel structure, and the firm is now the appointed contractor for the next stage of pre-construction planning and design work.
But work will not begin until the council has sourced the funding, the authority has confirmed. The £3m the council has already borrowed is to fund replacement decking.
An AE Yates spokesperson said: “We are delighted to be selected by Sefton Council under a pre-construction services agreement to be part of this important and prestigious project in the centre of Southport.
“The Pier is such a well-known attraction in the North West and we are excited to be an integral part of the team helping to bring it back to life for locals and visitors alike.”
Also on the project team is Southport based architect Gardiner & Theobold, structural engineer Fairhurst, engineering consultant Steve A Hunt & Associates, and development consultant Pegasus Planning.
Phil Porter, chief executive of Sefton Council, said: “I’m delighted that we have so many expert people working together towards our shared goal of refurbishing Southport Pier.
“We held an intensive tender process to ensure we have the best of the best working on the Pier and we are confident AE Yates are the partners for us.
“Many will already be aware of AE Yates for carrying out the recent intensive exploratory and investigation works, which have built on previous structural surveys and have given the council a more accurate picture of steelwork that was installed more than 22 years ago.
“AE Yates and our project team will now work to finalise all drawings, construction details, and a programme of future works including detailed costings.”
He added: “Sefton Council has and will continue to invest resources and funds into the Southport Pier project and I have seen first-hand the incredible depth of planning that is being done to put us in the best possible position to begin the refurbishment once vital and necessary funding is secured.
“We continue to engage with a range of central and regional government departments and other parties over identifying funding for the refurbishment and longer-term maintenance of Southport Pier.”
Sefton Council has confirmed a report will now be drafted to look at all options before the next steps for the project are outlined.
The pier is such an attraction to Southport and is sadly missed by people who like to walk the length of the pier for exercise and fresh air please repair it Southport looks lost without it’s Pier it’s véry sad if it’s not repaired.
By Mrs Feeley
Why did steelwork installed only last 22yrs when we have steel structures still standing after 50yrs. Poor quality steel used probably. Ensure best quality materials are used so that the structure will last
By Anonymous
It will be lovely to our pier back open again for the summer. I was born in southport. And to not have the pier open is a shame. I all use to take a dayley walk along southport pier every weekend. I do miss it so bad. To get the money 💰 back for the repairs. Why don’t you charge a.pound for adults and 50 pencil for over 5..I wouldn’t mind paying if we can walk along our famous 100 year old pier. Your sincerely mrs pamla Morgan.
By Mrs. Pamla Morgan
We have visited Southport many times as we love it there, but since the pier closed we havnt been back. The pier was the highlight of our visit, it was nice to walk the length of the pier and back, especially on a warm day. Hoping it reopens in the future as it is missed so much!
By Diane
No Pier = No Southport.
Could there be a crowd fund page for the Pier?
Is it possible to place a donation box on the Pier to contribute towards upkeep.
Is it too late for the Pier?
The focus these days is on mental health, wellbeing & excersise, has no one realised that Southport Pier is a valuable asset to people’s mental health, wellbeing & excersise?
Sadly for me it’s definitely No Pier No Southport.
Maybe funds can be sourced from other places like Rishi Sunak before he wastes it all on aviation fuel & ghost flights to Rwanda?
By Missing the Pier : (
It will years before its opened.Shame really
By Anonymous
Visited Southport today such a shame that the pier isn’t open and now the council have abandoned the park and ride that cost £2 with a bus into town centre and installed pay and display that costs £5.50 fir all say with no options for less time. We will not be rushing back any time soon.
By Anonymous
Words, words,words, all smoke and mirrors and self congratulatory plaudits but no actual action!
By Stephen Brooks
I thought the pier was demolished in the 90s why does it need so much work 30 years later
By Anonymous
How much money will be swallowed up by consultants, assessors, project managers, whatever??? Get on and fix it. Why is the southport theatre being demolished when you can’t afford to fix the pier??
By Anonymous
All I can say is that when you buy a house, you try your best to keep your house in good working order. If sections of the pier had been maintained say every 5 years and a budget put a side for it. Then the pier would never have been in the state that it is in now. By the time they had maintained the whole of the pier in sections. It would be time to start it again. Bad planning I would have thought. It’s no good having these nice things if they aren’t going to be maintained regularly. The council spent a lot of money on Marine Lake. I must admit that it did look lovely. Walking over the bridge, it looks that it has never been painted since it was first done. All round by the lake looks like it all needs a touch of paint again. If this was done on a regular basis then it wouldn’t be looking shabby for the visitors to say anything. Let’s hope that whoever gets a seat in the council this time, can pick Southport up to where it belongs. Something to be proud of.
By Anonymous
We need the pier to be restored asap. The council are dragging their hells.
By Anonymous
It would be nice to see the pier back open, but who is supposed to pay for it? The same people who constantly complain Southport gets nothing from/demand to leave Sefton now expect the council to find another £10 million so that not many people can walk to a not very good cafe which was often shut. Most Sefton Council Tax payers don’t live in Southport and have no reason to go there now that it is no longer a major shopping centre. If the Pier is so vital to the local economy, perhaps Southport residents and businesses should take the lead and look at setting up a trust or CIC to take it on and which could access outside funding not available councils.
By Anonymous
It’s simple really there should be a nominal charge of £1 to walk it and all proceeds should go into a pier maintenance and restoration fund and use products that will be long lasting with minimal maintenance ie composite decking boards would be a start they do not rot or twist and stop the train going up and down as stainless steel fixing with that much weight will Allways give way but not if just pedestrian use it that’s why there was a dedicated track to run on
Give the people of Southport our beach back and install AMPR cameras with electric barriers for charging people to use the beach and use them proceeds towards the pier , years ago in the summer there was thousands of cars going on the beach daily People came from far and wide there was motorcycle races lots of activities that brought people to the town clear the unsightly grass away this is and was Allways Southports greatest asset that was taken away .
By Anonymous