Watch as I enjoy a sneak look at the repairs to Roker Pier and find out exactly when it's expected to reopen

Roker Pier is due to open at the end of July after being closed for 18 months.

Transcript

00:00Okay then Ben would you start by asking what sort of damage you encountered here on the pier and

00:11what's being done to repair it? So during Storm Babette in 2023 the roundhead suffered damage

00:17whereby the existing granite blocks were washed off around a 20 meter length along with a large

00:25section of existing concrete paving. Also the hand railing is also taken away by the waves so

00:35we're here to make good those repairs and enable the pier to be reopened to the public as soon as possible.

00:41Well you've got this massive crane behind you here what rules are at play? So the purpose of the

00:46crane is to lift the manned basket whereby two of our operatives at South Bay Civil Engineering

00:54will install a temporary access platform to the outside of the roundhead and that will then allow

01:01us to safely install a reinforced concrete coping unit to replace the washed off granite blocks and

01:09following on from that we'll be then able to repair and replace the concrete paving at the base of the

01:16lighthouse. Any other sort of time frame when people and someone can start using the pier again? So we're

01:22looking to complete these works by the end of this summit.

01:38Okay can you just tell me a bit about the works that are taking place on the pier at the moment then please?

01:42Well we're here at Broker Pier lighthouse today and the storm damage has happened in October 2023

01:50through storm babet. Obviously we've gone through the process of assessing the damage and making sure

01:56we're in the right season and weather wise to start repair work. There was some 100 metres worth of

02:01railings was washed away as well as coping stones as well so that all will be replaced with the work

02:06that's going on today. It should take around 12 weeks so hopefully by the end of July that the

02:11work will be completed and the pier will be able to reopen to the public after some 200 000 pounds

02:16worth of repair works that's going to take place. Just how important is it that we get this pier reopened

02:21for people to enjoy for walking, fishing, all the various things that they do here? It's a vital part

02:25of Southern's heritage and everyone in Southern loves the pier, loves the lighthouse. It's one of those

02:30heritage assets that we've got so the sooner we can get that back up and running for people to come along

02:34to enjoy the walk, to enjoy the fishing again. That's what we want and hopefully by the end of July

02:40that'll be open again for the summer.