Latest news with #SouthportPier
BBC News
3 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Buzz builds among Southport businesses after pier funding promise
The owners of one of Southport's largest tourist attractions have said people in the town are "elated" after it was the seaside resort's pier could benefit from government Victorian structure has been closed over safety fears since December 2022, and has an estimated repair bill cost of £ Rachel Reeves confirmed on Wednesday the pier would benefit from cash from a new fund aimed at speeding up 'forgotten' local projects to encourage Silcock of Silcock Leisure Group, which runs Funland and the carousel near the entrance to the pier, said a re-opening of the landmark would help put the town "back on the map". She said: "The people have spoken and we have to thank Southport, the community for highlighting the plight of the pier and showing this is what we want," she said."Their voice was strong and it was heard. I'm elated, the whole town is elated."The grade-II listed structure, the second longest pier in the UK, shut three years ago after a structural survey found corroded steelwork and unstable decking. Sefton Council previously said it could not afford the £13m restoration costs. The chancellor's announcement of cash for the pier came during the government's recent Spending Review."We are so happy, this is the news we wanted, it is the best news for the town," Ms Silcock Langshaw, who owns community-run coffee shop The Old BakeHouse, said she hoped the re-opening of the pier would be a catalyst for wider regeneration in the said: "It's been a long time coming but we are really excited."The buzz is coming, it's slow but you can feel it."I think we need to start thinking positively because there's been a lot of delays but let's focus on what we are going to be doing in the future." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
UK's 2nd longest pier to finally reopen in £600bn cash injection boosting Victorian seaside town's economy
AN HISTORIC pier at a popular seaside town is set to reopen following a £600 billion cash injection. After closing in 2022, Southport Pier could be revived after the government promised to prioritise local developments projects in its Spending Review. 4 4 4 Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the review on June 11, which included a £600 billion cash injection to support the country's infrastructure. This cash injection aims to expedite a range of locally-significant development projects, including Southport Pier. It clarifies how day-to-day expenditure will be used in the country, as well as capital spending on transport, schools, community assets and hospitals. In a speech at the Houses of Parliament, Chancellor Reeves said: "I know the pride that people feel in their communities. I see it everywhere I go, but I also know that for too many people, there is a sense that something has been lost." She cited the death of the high street as one of the problems facing British towns, alongside a decline in community spaces, jobs and opportunities. The Spending Review aims to solve some of these problems as Reeves added: "Job creation and community assets are vital to our growth mission, but too often, regeneration projects are held back, gathering dust in bureaucratic limbo. We are changing that." During the speech, she named Southport Pier as just one of the projects that could benefit. The government hopes that reopening the pier, which has been shut since 2022, could create jobs and new business opportunities in the local area. Sefton Council closed the historic pier - which is the second longest in the country - after a period of extreme weather that left structural engineers concerned. Trendy English seaside town has rooftop bar that 'feels like the Med' Southport locals were excited at the prospect of a revival of such a culturally significant site for the town. Local MP Patrick Hurley said: "We've got a commitment from the Chancellor at the dispatch box to support the project. What that support means, in concrete and practical terms, is that there's going to be funding made available to make sure that the pier can be reopened." Hurley announced that by the end of summer they would have a better understanding of the exact funding, as well as the concrete proposals and timescales that would enable the pier to reopen. Mayor of Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram, expressed his support for the project. During a meeting at Lancaster House, Mr Rotheram said that Prime Minister Keir Starmer had given his word that Southport would be included in the development plans. Mayor Rotheram said: "This hasn't happened by chance. It's the result of tireless work by people who've never stopped fighting for the town's future." He credited Councillor Marion Atkinson and MP Hurley as being integral to the project's success, as well as the enthusiasm of Southport locals. In addition to being Britain's second longest pier, Southport Pier also has an important history. First opened in 1860, it has hosted famous performers like Charlie Chaplin. A restoration project between 2000 and 2002 helped to revive the pier and boost the local tourism industry before it closed in 2022.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Rebuilding Southport Pier will restore pride and visitors, MP says
Rebuilding a Victorian pier and reopening it for business will help "restore pride" in the seafront and boost the local economy, a town's MP has said. Chancellor Rachel Reeves named Southport Pier in the Spending Review on Wednesday as one of the projects which would benefit from a new Growth Mission Fund. The pier, which was built in 1860, has been shut since December 2022 due to health and safety concerns. Labour MP for Southport Patrick Hurley said its restoration would be "a turning point" for the town. He said: "This is about more than just rebuilding a pier, it's about restoring pride, boosting the local economy, and welcoming visitors back to Southport's seafront." The announcement was also welcomed by the town's former MP, now leader of the opposition Liberal Democrat group on Sefton Council, John Pugh. He said: "This proves that pressure pays."The council has no further excuses to delay restoration, albeit, it will probably have to find some more capital to match any the chancellor funds." Julie Rudge, a volunteer at Kings Gardens, who was sitting in the sun outside a fish and chip restaurant at the start of the pier when she heard the news, said she was "thrilled". "It was one of the original iron piers in England, so it's nationally significant, not just local," she said. Fellow volunteer Beryl Davey said: "[The town has] had such negative press over the last year with the attacks, and this would bring such positive vibes."The pier was initially closed following a period of "extreme weather", but a subsequent inspection found rotting wooden slats and other defects. The council previously said it could not afford the £13m restoration costs. Hurley said details of exactly how the fund would work would be published "in the summer" along with "the specific amount of funding, the timescales for construction work and when the pier will reopen".A spokesperson for Sefton Council said the authority was ready to begin repair works once it had the funding in place. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
