Silcock’s Leisure Group operations director Serena Silcock-Prince has said she is “very hopeful” that Southport Pier will receive DCMS funding to reopen, after calling on the government to help restore the “historic national landmark.”

Silcock’s Leisure Group is making its voice heard in the ongoing campaign to reopen Southport Pier, with operations director Serena Silcock-Prince telling the BBC the pier “is far more than a local attraction.”

As Sefton Council contemplates a £10m shortfall in the estimated £13m cost of repairs, Silcock-Prince called on the government to invest in supporting the project in tandem with the £73m Marine Lake Events Centre.

“Southport people have been through a lot,” said Silcock-Prince. “We have shown the world that Southport is a small town with a really big heart.”

“It has been brilliant to see Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer coming to visit Southport three times in recent months. Each time, he has said he is right behind Southport, and will give our town the support it needs. What we would all love to see is the funding required to reopen Southport Pier.”

Speaking on the Marine Lake Events Centre plans, which look to replace the seafront theatre complex, Silcock-Prince said it would be “a huge miss” if the neighbouring pier remained shut.

“The Pier is far more than a local attraction. It is an historic national landmark that the government, and other national funding bodies, should be determined to restore and reopen as soon as possible. I am very hopeful it will happen. I am feeling positive.”

Commenting on the proposals, a DCMS spokesperson said: “We recognise that the country’s cultural and heritage assets play an essential role in communities.”

“We are providing more money to councils to help them drive forward the government’s Plan for Change through investment and reform, and to fix the foundations of local government.”