Worthing Pier repairs: Council explains next steps after weather 'hindered progress'

Council bosses have revealed when repair work on Worthing Pier is likely to be completed.

The news comes after the authority said earlier this week that more ‘great progress’ had been made during repair work on the attraction, despite contractors being delayed by the severe wintry weather.

Worthing Borough Council revealed earlier this week that the bad weather meant contractors were ‘not going to be able to complete the project as quickly as we had hoped’.

Strong winds and driving rain ‘significantly cut the length of the low tides’ on Monday and Tuesday.

On Friday (November 22), the council gave a statement on its Facebook page outlining the latest update.

A spokesperson said: “Our scaffolding contractors are currently designing the scaffolding that will be used next week to allow us to complete the project to reopen Worthing Pier by working from the above deck without waiting for the next set of spring low tides.

“Meanwhile, our engineers and contractors have done a visual inspection of the underside of the pier and drawn up a list of minor repairs that will be carried out through December and January during their spring low tides.

“We carry out quarterly inspections of the pier as part of our routine maintenance programme, looking for damaged or loose items that need to be replaced or fixed.

“Minor repairs are a regular occurrence for a structure of the pier’s age, and include tightening bolts and replacing tie bars and bull bars underneath the pier’s decking.

“Our engineers and contractors also took the opportunity to examine more closely a pile of similar age and construction next to those that suffered storm damage and forced the closure of the pier last month. We’re delighted to say that the pile has not suffered any damage and is still in a good condition so won’t need to be replaced at this stage.

“Our contractor has now removed heavy equipment that is no longer needed out of the compound so that when the project is complete we can restore full access to the beach as soon as possible.

“Please do not attempt to go under or on the pier, or over the temporary fencing as this is still a live construction site. These areas are not safe for residents to enter and any damage caused could delay when we can make the pier safe enough for us to reopen it.”

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