Beaumaris Pier looking ‘fantastic’ as £200,000 maintenance work completed

Essential maintenance work on Beaumaris Pier has been completed, ensuring that the structure looks better than ever.

Contractors were given the go-ahead to press on with the £200,00 project during the coronavirus lockdown during the summer – whilst ensuring as little disruption as possible to businesses.

Beaumaris Pier was originally built in 1846 and remains an important social, economic, cultural and historic asset to this day.

The county council secured the pier’s long term future in 2012 after investing £5.6m to significantly revamp the structure as part of the Anglesey Coastal Environment Project.

However, continuous exposure to saltwater had led to significant rusting and a deterioration of paintwork on the pier’s railing and approaches – exposing extensive sections of underlying metalwork.

Anglesey Council’s Regulation and Economic Development Service secured the necessary consents needed to begin the work.

The six month £200,000 project began in June as scaffolding and a covering were erected around the pier allowing the railings to be cleaned before repainting started.

The covering also stopped contaminants being released in to the Menai Strait in line with the Marine Licence approval received from Natural Resources Wales.

Economic Development portfolio holder, Councillor Carwyn Jones, was delighted with Beaumaris Pier’s make-over during a recent visit.

He said: “Beaumaris Pier is an iconic structure which is an important draw for the town and wider Island. These works have ensured that it once again looks in fantastic condition.

“Coronavirus has dealt the local economy a significant blow, but I hope that the pier’s restoration will play an important role in ensuring Beaumaris and wider Anglesey can capitalise when the time is right.”

He added: “We made every effort to support businesses who rely on the pier as the work progressed and I’m grateful to them for their support and understanding as the project progressed.”

The works had been in the planning for a number of years and the coronavirus crisis did initially cast doubt over this important maintenance project.

Interim Head of Regulation and Economic Development, Christian Branch, said: “Thankfully, our contractors were able to carry out the works in line with the appropriate safe working guidelines and lockdown period provided an opportune time to undertake the work.

“Our maritime team was able to arrange access for local businesses that use the pier as the works progressed ensuring as little disruption as possible.”

He added: “Not undertaking the work now would undoubtedly have led to greater deterioration of the structure and higher costs in the future as it wouldn’t have been possible undertake the project during colder autumn and winter months.”