Ramsey's Queen's Pier refurbishment gets £50k lottery grant

Part of the Queen's Pier was reopened to the public in July

A project to refurbish a Victorian pier in Ramsey has been given a £50,000 lottery grant.

The Queen's Pier Restoration Trust recently completed the first phase of the revamp, opening three bays of the iron structure to the public.

Project Manager Stuart McKenzie said the lottery money meant the second phase, refurbishing bays four to six, could begin.

The 16-year project to reopen the pier began in 2017.

Originally opened in 1886, the structure fell into disrepair and was closed on safety grounds in 1990.

The trust recently gained permission from the government to refurbish bays four to six.

Plans are in place to refurbish two more bays of the pier within the next 12 months

The money was allocated from the government's Dormant Assets Fund, which is managed by the Manx Lottery Trust.

Mr McKenzie said the lottery grant had allowed the volunteer group to pay for the materials needed for bay four "completely".

"Undoubtedly without it we wouldn't have even been able to start [the second phase]," he said.

He said additional funding for the next two bays was being raised through sponsorships of planks and stanchions on each part of the pier, along with donations from private and corporate supporters.

Manx Lottery Trust chairman Sarah Kelly said the restoration was a "worthy community project" that would "benefit the whole Manx community as well as visitors to our island".