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.
