With the latest two bays of Queen’s Pier restored and opened to the public, volunteers have set their sights on the next target.
Funding is almost in place for the replacement steel for the next six bays, with work on the first three of these planned for next year and then the other three in 2028.
This will take the pier restoration close to the next big objective, bay 18, the next wider stabilisation bay. Ramsey Pier has 60 bays in total.
The cost of the steel, fabricated, galvanised, painted and delivered to Glasson Dock, has rising from the original £35,000 a bay to £60,000 - and that’s before the 50% tariff was brought in.
Total cost per bay including timber, decking screws and the other hardware is currently over £80,000 per bay.
Support for the pier restoration continues to grow, with the latest batch of plaques, a vital part of the fund-raising project, selling out in just 36 hours.
Project manager Dennis Curphey said: ‘Our next objective is bays 11, 12 and 13, and then hopefully bays 14,15 and 16 in 2028.
‘We have instructed our fabricators to purchase the raw materials for the six bays before a 50% tariff was put on steel on July 1.
‘Scaffolders have been asked to move the scaffold out to bays 11, 12 and 13 but as yet we don’t have a start date from them. They are looking for a window in their heavy schedule that coincides with the tides being right to work from the beach.
‘Once the scaffold is in place the next three bays can be stripped of all the old wood, we get the surveyor over to measure up, and then full fabrication can be completed.’
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Dennis said the work to fit the replacement steel for these next bays can still be done from the beach.
He explained that the centre beam will be fitted in sections and assembled in situ while the two side beams can be lifted into place fully welded up.
