Work on damaged pier to cost £380k less than estimate

Permanent repairs to a pier are expected to cost nearly £400,000 less than initially feared, according to the local authority.

Worthing Borough Council said work would start in August on new foundations for the town's pier, with the original £930,000 cost estimate revised to £550,000.

A storm damaged Worthing Pier and forced it to close in October 2024. It reopened two months later with a temporary steel support in place.

The works "will give the pier new foundations to allow it to stand against the elements without the need for the steel support structure", the council said.

It is hoped the works, which do not require the closure of the Grade II listed Victorian attraction, will be completed before winter.

Routine maintenance will take place on the underside of the pier during the structural works, according to the local authority.

Officials attributed the cost reduction to the project no longer requiring the removal and refitting of the pier's timber deck, with work taking place entirely below the pier.

Worthing Borough Council leader Caroline Baxter said: "Our pier is one of Worthing's best-loved landmarks and a huge part of our coastal heritage.

"Looking after it isn't just about maintaining a structure - it's about protecting a place that means so much to local people and continues to attract visitors from across the country."

The pier was built in 1862, with its Art Deco features added later.

Worthing Borough Council has also confirmed the pier's outer "landing stage", popular with people fishing, has reopened after maintenance works to the platform and handrails.

Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram and listen to BBC Radio Sussex on Sounds. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.