The council has identified funding totalling up to £900,000 for the project, with the intention that the work will be carried out during the summer and autumn when the weather and tides are generally easier to work in.

The hope is that by scheduling the repairs at that time of year, the work will be able to be completed more quickly and more cost effectively, with the pier able to remain open at the same time.

Worthing Pier had to be closed suddenly in October 2024 after it suffered storm damage to its supporting piles that left it unsafe for the public. 

Council officers worked rapidly with specialist engineering companies to have a temporary steel support structure designed and built to sit underneath the weakened section of the pier and give it extra strength. This prevented more piles being damaged by extra strain from the weight of the deck and also allowed the council to reopen the pier to the public in December 2024.

The support structure was designed to sit in place for around two years. Since it was put in place, the council’s engineers have been discussing with contractors what would be needed for a permanent fix.

Councillor Sophie Cox, the leader of Worthing Borough Council, said: “There was a huge outpouring of support from the community for our urgent work to reopen the pier last year but we were always clear that the steel support was only a temporary fix.

“The permanent repair in 2026 will secure our fabulous pier for the years to come so that the tens of thousands of visitors who come to Worthing annually will be able to enjoy it.

“In the meantime we’re investing in our seafront and town centre to make the area more attractive to visitors and residents.”

While the designs for the permanent repair are worked on in the coming months, the council’s engineers and contractors continue to carry out routine maintenance on the underside of the pier. Minor repairs are a regular occurrence for a structure of the pier’s age, and include tightening bolts and replacing tie bars and bull bars underneath the pier’s decking.

These repairs can only be carried out during each month’s spring low tides - when the tide goes out far enough for the team to have a good amount of time on the beach - so the work cannot be done during the winter when those tides are shorter.