Weather damage forces shutdown and leads to firm seeking urgent financial help
ABUSINESS owner who has not been able to welcome customers all year has said staff have been left suffering “breakdowns”.
Southport Pier was forced to shut in December last year due to safety concerns, after the historic structure suffered “significant and unavoidable damage” as a result of adverse weather conditions.
The pier is currently being surveyed, but Sefton Council has been unable to release a reopening date, with question marks lingering over whether or not it will be open for summer – or even the Southport Air Show in September.
Now, Southport Pier Pavilion has spoken out against the council, claiming that work has been delayed until after Easter and that staff are suffering as a result.
In a scathing statement, the business said: “This is not the news we were hoping to give you. We should have had an answer by now from the surveyor’s report and the council as to whether the pier is safe to walk on whilst the work is procured but, like all things, it’s delayed until after Easter.
“We are, as you can all imagine, very frustrated with this and have received zero financial help as yet. Our business just stopped with zero days’ notice, our stock went to ruin and our lives and that of our amazing staff paused.
“Some staff have literally had breakdowns because of this. It’s like lockdown all over again but with no help. However, we do have some slightly positive news.
“Our halfway house (doughnuts, food and ice cream) is now open. We will also be serving alcohol from April 6 by way of a temporary event notice (due to the short notice we had) until we await our premises license to be granted.
“You can access the building from [the] Ocean Plaza side (stairs and ramp) and beachside via the stairs. This is great news for some of our staff who can get back to some form of work. If you’ve missed us, come visit us.”
One kind customer has also set up a fundraiser to try to subsidise the sudden loss of income, with the Easter period understandably a busy time of the year for the business.
The pier was set to undergo £3 million worth of renovation work over the course of the year due to the deterioration of the structure, but was set to remain open to the public while work was completed.
A spokesperson for Sefton Council said: “As previously stated, the survey being carried out on Southport Pier involves a thorough and intrusive assessment of the 3,600ft structure.
“Due to the detailed nature of this assessment and the complexity of Southport Pier’s structure, the survey will take time to complete.
“However, we will update both business owners directly and the public through our official communication channels as soon as possible,” the spokesperson added.
“We appreciate this is a frustrating time for everyone but we are sure that they, like the council, would not want anybody put in any risk of harm by venturing on to the pier in current conditions.”