Conservative MP and Town Centre Councillor call for Southport Pier works to be expedited.

Posted on: 31/01/2023 12:43

Southport MP Damien Moore has backed Town Centre Councillor, Sir Ron Watson, in his calls for the
remedial works on Southport Pier to be expedited.

Earlier this month, Sefton Council announced that the pier – the second longest in the country and
major driver of visitor footfall into Southport – would be closed for an unspecified amount of time.

Concerns have been raised over the impact the closure of one of Southport’s main tourist attractions
will have on local tourism and hospitality businesses, especially if the works are not completed as
the town heads into its tourism season.

Cllr Sir Ron Watson, who represents Dukes Ward on Sefton Council which covers the pier, has
encouraged Sefton and the Pier Trust to provide further clarity on the timescales involved. He has
also outlined the wider impacts of the closure, mainly on the recreational and mental health benefits
a walk can have for the town’s residents.

Southport MP Damien Moore has affirmed his view that any disruption to the normal use of the pier
must be kept to an absolute minimum, and has raised questions surrounding the maintenance works
which have been undertaken over recent years.

Damien Moore, Member of Parliament for Southport, said:

“Over the coming months, tens of millions of pounds will be spent on Southport’s town centre, as
part of the £38.5 million Town Deal given to Southport by the Government.

“At a time of renewed investor confidence in our town, we cannot see a major visitor attraction
closed for an unspecified period of time. We need to be showcasing to visitors the full range of what
Southport has to offer, while supporting existing businesses which rely on visitor trade.

“Our pier is an outstanding attraction and its closure is already having an impact, even in the Winter
months. I invite Sefton Council and the Pier Trust to publish a timescale for the works to be
completed, which businesses, visitors, and Southport residents can rely upon.

Cllr Sir Ron Watson, Conservative Councillor for Dukes Ward, said:

“I really do hope that progress can be made, and in a wider context I have always hoped that the Pier
Trust would consider a new development at the end of the Pier.

“My involvement in various non-executive capacities with the NHS has left me in no doubt that the
simplest and best form of exercise is actually walking, and there is no better walk that I can think of
than up and down our Pier.

“If a more extensive facility at the end of the pier was secured, it would serve a dual purpose of
helping commercially with the Pier’s finances, and double-up with health benefits. I hope that further
clarity will be issued, so that we all know when we can expect our fantastic pier to be open once
more to the public.”