Sunderland: Repairs of £1.8m approved for storm-damaged piers

Damage caused to the three piers by recent storms is to cost £1.8m to repair

Repairs costing almost £2m to three piers damaged during recent storms have been approved by a council.

Sunderland's Old North Pier, New South Pier and Roker Pier were significantly damaged in storms Babet and Ciarán.

A sum of £1.8m from the Nobles Quay Reconstruction scheme will be reallocated for the work.

Labour-led Sunderland City Council said the works took priority as the structures protect the port, businesses and residential properties.

The report to the council outlined that Old North Pier had an estimated repair bill of £300,000, with £200,000 of repairs to its rock armour and £100,000 of concrete repairs to its deck area.

Roker Pier has an estimated repair bill of £200,000, after being damaged by recent storms

New South Pier has an estimated repair bill of £1m, with £700,000 of repairs to its lower deck and £300,000 to the upper deck, with emergency repairs to coping stones already completed.

Roker Pier also has an estimated repair bill of £200,000, with £150,000 for replacing granite coping stones and £50,000 for deck area repairs.

As part of the programme, a contingency of £300,000 is also being set aside, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

'Protecting the port'

A cabinet of senior councillors approved the plans on Thursday and work could begin in the upcoming months, depending on weather conditions and contractor availability.

Councillor Kevin Johnston said the piers were "key structures that help protect infrastructure, businesses and residential properties along our sea, port and riverside frontages".

"The piers also mitigate against silt and sediment deposits in the Port of Sunderland's navigation channel," Mr Johnston explained.

The report stated the piers required "urgent repairs" to "prevent further structural degradation and to protect the functionality of the port and nearby areas".

Funding will be met by reallocating £1.8m from the Nobles Quay reconstruction works which, council bosses have said, only require £200,000 for immediate and necessary works.

Sunderland City Council said that remaining Nobles Quay works funds would be met at a later date.