Sefton Council has been urged to "bite the bullet" and find the funds to carry out "essential maintenance" on Southport Pier after closing down the attraction more than two years ago.
Southport Pier, which has been closed to visitors for 27 months, has still not received the repair works it needs to be deemed "safe" for reopening.
However, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Group at Sefton Council John Pugh has told GB News that if the pier was privately owned, it would "still be open".
Speaking to GB News reporter Sophie Reaper, Pugh explained: "We need to convince the council that it's safe and it's affordable to repair it. If this were a private pier, it would still be open. The council are massively risk averse.
Councillor John Pugh has demanded the council to 'bite the bullet' and find the money for repairs to the pier
GB News
"You can look at this pier closely and you will see a pier in relatively good condition compared with some, but does need repairs - the council simply are not providing that money at the moment."
Hitting out at the council's lack of urgency in having the pier reopened, Pugh claimed that the authorities are "putting the begging bowl out", but are also funding other building projects.
Pugh said: "They're putting the begging bowl out elsewhere, but they've been rebuffed.
"My view is at the end of the day, they need to bite the bullet and find some money and start on the pier repair."
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Southport Pier has been closed for 27 months for 'essential maintenance'
GB News
When asked by Sophie how the locals feel about the pier being closed for so long, Pugh told GB News that residents are "perplexed" as to why it has been closed with no work carried out.
Pugh said: "They're slightly perplexed that it is closed in the first place, because they've looked at the pier and they understand it's not like many piers, which are completely derelict.
"They also don't understand why the council won't make some sort of start on it. They're puzzled by their reluctance."
Noting that the council has claimed they are "perpetually committed to the repair of the pier", Pugh rebutted the remark and declared that they are "not digging into their own pockets" to fund the repairs.
Councillor Pugh said the council 'needs to be convinced' that the pier is 'safe and affordable to repair'
GB News
Pugh added: "They're not digging into their own pockets, but are building a £72million conference centre behind the pier, adjacent to the pier.
"Now the council have the money to do that, but they appear to have not a penny for the pier."
In a statement, Councillor Marion Atkinson, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Skills, said: “If there is anyone out there who still believes the Pier should not currently be closed then the images and detail we have published should make them think again
“Our contractors A E Yates have been superb in carrying out exploratory works and without them extensively removing the decking boards, we would not be able to see the shocking level of damage to the steelwork.
“Sadly, owing to poor workmanship commissioned in 2000, work that should have lasted up to 30 years for timber and longer for the steel work was sub-standard and we inherited a structure that was flawed.
"As we all know you can patch up a car or a house with temporary repairs and fixes, but if the structure you’re maintaining is flawed, you are going to need some major work and that’s the point we have reached
“As custodians of this iconic structure, Sefton Council has reiterated its complete support towards the full refurbishment of Southport Pier.
“However, the Council simply does not have the budgets required to fulfil these works without help, and we strongly believe that a nationally significant heritage asset such as this should have national funding allocated for both the project and the ongoing maintenance thereafter.”
“In order to address this significant funding gap, the Council is continuing to progress engagement on an ongoing basis with potential funders and stakeholders.”
