Hopes rise as work on pier set to begin

WORK to refurbish Southport Pier is to start in the next few months, with many now hoping it could be fully reopened by the end of this year.

- BY ELLIOT JESSETT

Southport Pier

(LDRS)

The latest update comes after years of campaigning and the confirmation last year that funding had been secured to restore the pier.

The Grade II listed pier, which is the oldest iron pier in the country, was closed by Sefton Council in 2022 on the advice of structural engineers after a period of extreme weather.

The closure of the pier has had a significant impact on the town’s leisure and tourism offer, with many residents and business owners keen to see the pier reopened.

However, due to the financial costs of the refurbishment, any possible reopening had been in limbo. August 2025 also saw a fire dramatically take hold of the historic structure, believed to have been caused by an electrical fault.

The fire came just two months after the Chancellor said money would be issued to help with the restoration, although a figure or timeframe was not disclosed.