John Pugh voices concerns over potential repeated Splashworld saga with Southport Pier

Following the Council’s recent announcement of a potential £13 M bill for the Pier refurbishment,John Pugh (LD) , Opposition leader on Sefton Council has expressed concern that Sefton may be about to repeat the Splashworld saga whereby a major Southport attraction remained closed for 3 years. 

"The signs are ominous, " he says, “ with talk of a 'funding gap’, vague thoughts of getting money from somewhere else and the categorical statement that 'the Pier must remain closed until the full refurbishment project been carried out '
 That is a devastating blow to Southport tourism given the Pier’s popularity and iconic status.

"We of course need to see the full structural survey which, although completed, seems to exist in some strange sort of limbo between the consultants and the Council. I remain concerned that contractors have been sounded out about costings before other stakeholders as it comes close to asking them to name their price. 

The public too will want to be assured that we are getting value for money as significant sums have apparently been already spent on Pier Refurbishment.  It cannot all be in need of replacement and may be capable of being restored in a phased way. You don’t close the whole of the Forth Bridge for years because it requires repair and maintenance. While I cannot ,without further reports, advocate a Forth Bridge solution, the public will need convincing that mothballing the whole Pier for years is the right option -particularly if they visit Blackpool and Llandudno where the piers are open and superficially in worse condition."

Cllr. Pugh states that he has travelled the length of the Pier very recently in a vehicle weighing over a ton with the pier concessionaire, Colin Jamieson.

“No -one should take public liability issues lightly’, says Cllr Pugh ,” but the Pier is neither lethal nor in imminent danger of collapse and problems with defective planks have been addressed on an ongoing basis for years- especially during events like the Airshow.  What I don’t want to happen is have the kind of interminable closure that suits the contractors but frustrates the public. I don’t want Splashworld - part two ! “  

  Cllr Pugh is collecting signatures for a petition demanding timely progress on Pier refurbishment HERE