What is the point of a Victorian pier in 2025?

A hundred and fifty years ago, piers were on the itinerary of almost any visit to a seaside town. In the 1850s, 100 piers stretched out from the British coastline.

They were feats of engineering in the Victorian era, using the latest design and technology to create walkways out to sea.

Some piers were built as shipping infrastructure, enabling ships to dock or passengers to disembark.

But in 1860 a "pleasure pier" was opened in Southport to allow people a long promenade high above the waves.

Since December 2022 it has been closed for health and safety reasons, and now a row has broken out over whether it is worth the estimated £13m cost of fixing it.

So with roller coasters and a surf resort potentially in the pipeline in Southport, what is the point of a Victorian pier in the 21st Century?

Southport Pier is the the second longest in the country. It has survived war, storms, fires and the constant exposure to sea water.

It has also had its fair share of expensive repairs – in 1990 a council vote to demolish it was defeated by just one vote.

Yet again, in 2025 it is facing an existential crisis.

The owner of Southport's Pleasureland theme park, Norman Wallis, caused controversy when he began the new year with an open letter encouraging people in the resort to "dream bigger" when it came to the town's future.

He described the pier as "something few outside our town wake up wanting to visit".

Southport's MP Patrick Hurley vehemently disagreed with the description.

"I love Norman but he's got this one wrong" he said, adding: "The pier is fantastic and should be opened as soon as possible."

Business owners at another Victorian icon in the town, the Wayfarers shopping arcade, agreed that fixing the pier is a priority.

They said footfall had declined without the attraction being open.

Rob Rix from Master Barbers said it baffled him how the Victorians could achieve such feats of engineering

"Yet with today's technology they're stumbling around and wasting time," he said.

"This is a sea side resort. It deserves a functional pier".

Fellow shopkeeper Eileen Lippa said the pier was one of the Victorian elements of the town.

"People come and they like to walk along the pier, have a coffee or an ice-cream.

"Southport is the jewel in Sefton's crown and the council should be prepared to spend the money," she said.

Mr Hurley said modern minds might regard the UK's remaining piers as "follies" but argued one of the great things about the Victorians was "they didn't just have a profitability mindset on everything", but created piers "for the joy of it, and because they could".

He said Victorian ingenuity "brought people to the seaside towns and got them enjoying coastal communities.

"If it's good enough for the people in the 1850s it's certainly good enough for people in the 2020s."

But he said that he could not "in all good conscience" urge councillors to prioritise spending £20m to fix the pier over investing in children's services and potholes.

He said talks with private investors and charitable funders were ongoing, and he was confident the money would be found.

There are still about 50 piers in the UK.

Dr Anya Chapman, Principal Academic in Tourism Management at Bournemouth University, said seaside piers remained "iconic attractions", with some "retaining their original function as transport hubs for boats and pleasure cruises, others more sedate and relaxing for a gentle stroll or a few hours' fishing".

She said many piers had adapted to 21st century pursuits "such as ziplines, VR, or escape rooms", adding to their multi-generational appeal.

Dr Chapman added: "Without a pier, coastal towns lose their identity as 'seaside resorts', which is why so many coastal communities have fought hard to retain or save their piers in the last decade."

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram, and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.