Hammer Blow to Southport Pier Hopes: Lottery Funding Denied

The Labour leader of Sefton Council, Cllr. Marion Atkinson informed a stunned council last night that the Heritage Lottery would not consider at this time a Council bid for money to repair the Pier. Heritage Lottery responded to the Council’s enquiry this week.

This rebuff follows the failure of the council to get external funding from the government for the repair.

Sefton Council policy which is unchanged, since first stated at the full Council in November 2023, is to get the government to pay for the entire repair and future maintenance of the Pier.

“This is an absolute hammer blow for Pier hopes.” says opposition leader Cllr John Pugh, “ The Council was hoping to get up to £10M from the lottery and now will not be putting in a formal bid and may not for years. The current Labour administration has ruled out using Sefton’s money to complete the job, voted down opposition moves to get repairs started and won’t even begin restoration until a sizeable cheque lands on their desk. The outlook is bleak.

 I cannot explain such stubbornness. I know Pier repairs were never part of their grand plans, but a responsible council has to deal with what crops up. Having originally closed the Pier in a panic, the Council needs now to sort the problem out. 

 It has found £20M of its own money to hep pay for the new conference centre next to the Pier, £32M to buy the Strand, £8M to loan to its own housing company and £54M over the last 5 years to bale out its failing Children Services.

  Sefton can clearly fund the repair by appropriate use of revenue and capital resources. It just does not want to do so.”     

On the plus side, Cllr. Pugh points out that cost of Pier repairs (which many have questioned) may well come down as council officers, seeking a sustainable solution, are now considering not to take down and repair the problematic steelwork just below the decking, but to replace it outright with a simpler design of galvanised steel.

 “Currently due to a world glut and the threat of US tariffs, steel prices in the UK  are plummeting and there is a potential benefit to the Council from that. To stop decay and eventual demolition the Council needs an advisory group that understands procurement, civil engineering and council finance. That though will be utterly pointless if there isn’t the political will to get things done ! "