Pier safety work to start as restoration on hold

Safety work on a 146-year-old pier is expected to start next week after engineers identified an "immediate risk" to people in the water below.

Contractors will begin removing about 600 metal floor grilles from the lower level of timber landing stages at Bournemouth Pier on Monday.

It follows Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council's decision to prioritise safety after rising costs and an unsuccessful tender delayed plans for a wider restoration project at the Dorset landmark.

Richard Herrett, the council's cabinet member for the seafront, said the immediate priority was "the most urgent safety works" to protect people in and around the water.

It is expected to take up to 12 weeks to complete, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

Work to remove the grilles, which each weigh about half a tonne, will take place on week days between 23:00 and 08:00 BST to minimise disruption and allow the pier to remain open to the public during the day.

Herrett said the pier was loved by local people and visitors from across the country, adding: "We know people want to see it fully restored and so do we.

"But recent tender information has shown the full programme would cost far more than the funding currently available."

A restoration scheme to extend the pier's life by 25 years had been due to start in winter 2024 before being delayed until autumn 2026.

Last month, the council said it had not been able to find a suitable contractor for the full 18-month project.

The authority had allocated £9.6m from its £20m Levelling Up award to the restoration but said previously construction costs had risen considerably since the funding was secured.

Of the original budget, £5.3m remained earmarked for Bournemouth Pier after £4.3m was redirected to stabilise East and West Cliffs and support structural work on Boscombe Pier, said LDRS.

Herrett said: "This is not the end of the conversation about Bournemouth Pier's future but it is the responsible first step with the funding available."

The next phases of the project will involve removing the remaining timber structures and completing repairs to the concrete substructure.

BCP Council has said further updates will be provided ahead of each stage.