Seaside town to get vital boost with £13m plan to reopen iconic pier

The 165 year-old history of one of Britain’s most iconic piers could end unless the Government helps the closed structure get a vital facelift, campaigners have stressed.

Southport Pier, which opened in 1860, has been closed since December 2022 over “serious health and safety” fears with the council and local businesses arguing over who should pay to fix it. In September Sefton Council estimated it could cost around £13m to restore it to its former glory.

The popular Merseyside seaside resort has been reeling since last July’s attack at a Taylor Swift-themed kids dance class claimed the lives of youngsters Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine; Bebe King, six; and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven.

Now concerned locals have urged the Government to step in and save their “national treasure” tourism landmark, claiming it’s closure is crippling the Victorian seaside town.

Local residents say the pier’s closure had significantly affected Southport’s leisure and tourism offer, with businesses saying it was “devastating”.

Serena Silcock-Prince, from the family-run Silcock Leisure Group, said Southport had “come together and done whatever we can for each other” after the stabbing attack in July last year, in which three young girls were killed.

“Southport people have been through a lot,” she said. “We have shown the world that Southport is a small town with a really big heart.

“It has been brilliant to see Prime Minister Sir coming to visit Southport three times in recent months.

“Each time, he has said he is right behind Southport, and will give our town the support it needs. What we would all love to see is the funding required to reopen Southport Pier.”

Ms Silcock Prince said every business in the town had been “affected in a negative way” by the closure and tourists had interpreted it as “Southport closed” but its reopening would give “a huge boost”.

She added that Southport Pier was “far more than a local attraction”, adding: “It is an historic national landmark that the government, and other national funding bodies, should be determined to restore and reopen as soon as possible.

“I am very hopeful it will happen. I am feeling positive.”

A Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport spokesperson said local authorities were best placed to decide what their communities needed, and which projects to prioritise.

They added: “We recognise that the country’s cultural and heritage assets play an essential role in communities.

“We are providing more money to councils to help them drive forward the government’s Plan for Change through investment and reform, and to fix the foundations of local government.”

A spokesperson for Sefton Council said: “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.

“In late 2024 we applied for Listed Building Consent for the future refurbishment works needed to re-open Southport Pier.

“By making this submission it enables Sefton Council and the Southport Pier team to have all necessary approvals in place for when funding is identified, allowing for works to commence quickly and efficiently.”