Progress continues on phase two of a £4
million development to upgrade attractions on Clacton Pier which will be ready
for the new season.
The scheme is slightly behind schedule due to
extra work being required than was initially expected, but bosses still expect
the central concourse will reopen on time for customers at Easter.
The area currently under development contains
some of the oldest parts of the 147-year-old structure and has been a
particular challenge.
Pier Director Billy Ball said the in-house
team carrying out the work are doing an excellent job.
“All the preparations for the concrete repairs
have been completed and by the end of the week the work on the 1930’s concrete beams
will be finished,” he said.
“Next week the new steel girders will be going
in and that will be followed by reinforcements and concrete slabs.
“There has been some slippage and that is
inevitable when you start looking at an area which is almost 150-years-old. It
revealed issues we had not anticipated but we are still confident to open that
section for the main season.
“It may just mean that we will not have the
final wood effect surface in place but that can be achieved after Easter
without delaying the re-opening of that section of the Pier.”
Once completed the second phase will provide a
large undercover area at the front of the attraction which will make it weather
tight. It will create the largest amusement arcade in the district in the
summer and can be used for other events from October to January.
Last week a £45,000 replacement gas supply was
installed by contractors at the front of the Pier to improve capacity to the
site by 500 per cent. This is needed to support the new 52-week a year attractions
which have been added.
Phase one of the development which included
Discovery Bay soft play, Skull Point adventure golf, Dockside Dodgems, The
Galley Restaurant and Captain’s Table Takeaway was completed on schedule and on
budget last summer.
