Thin wood, corrosive sap and wrong nails blamed for Pier deterioration

Sap in the wood which makes up the Southport Pier decking is one of the reasons it’s so badly damaged, according to a report.

A long list of reasons have now been published with the Pier’s owners Sefton Council say are behind a rapid deterioration of the iconic Pier we all love.

Cllr Atkinson of Sefton Council said last week “In the year 2000 the pier underwent a full refurbishment which included brand new wooden boards and steel.

“Not long after it was completed, faults became apparent. The work should have had a life span of up to 30 years.

“What we know now is the tropical hard wood Eki should have been 35mm thick not 25mm thick. The sap it seems that should have been removed from the Eki was left on in places which left the wood prone to risk.

“The screws that were used at the time were not only the wrong screws which split the wood and made it vulnerable and furthermore they were also screwed into the wrong place, causing further vulnerabilities to the boards.”