An historic pier has been replaced by shortened version to remind future generations about its predecessor, which was five times longer.
Conwy County Borough Council today announced that work to construct the new 132 ft pier in Colwyn Bay has been completed. It is on the site of an old derelict pier that partially collapsed during Storm Doris in 2017.
That predecessor, which opened in 1900, boasted fabulous murals designed by Eric Ravilious and dating back to the 1930s.
The pier had a string of owners before falling into disrepair, was some 750 ft long.
READ MORE: The pier that fell into the sea and the work going on to replace it
The remains of the old pier were dismantled in 2018. Decorative ironwork was salvaged from the old structure, refurbished and used to construct the new pier.
Construction of the new pier started on site in October 2019, but was interrupted and suspended during lockdown in 2020.
Cllr Abdul Khan, Conwy Council chairman, opened Colwyn Bay Pier to the public.
He said: “It is with great pleasure that I open the pier today. Due to Covid restrictions we can’t have the big community celebration we’d have liked, but it’s still important that we mark this day and this connection to Colwyn Bay’s seaside history."
He added: “By constructing this pier we acknowledge the legacy of the Victorian engineers and also provides a focus for people to relive their many happy memories at this site.”
Built within the footprint of the original 1900 pier, the new truncated pier features ironwork salvaged from the old structure.
The original ornate columns under the boardwalk have been treated and reinforced, and 78 decorative panels have been successfully refurbished.
The lamp columns, their bases and capitals have been recast as per original design.
Layers of paint on the old pier were analysed, and the colours used on the new truncated pier match the colour scheme from 1934.
Cllr Brian Cossey, Cabinet Member for Finance and Chair of the Pier Project Board, said: “Building a truncated pier was one of the conditions of being allowed to dismantle the old, unstable structure.
"It’s thanks to the hard work of the councillors and officers involved that the new truncated pier has been built without the need for additional money, as the funding was within the existing maintenance budget.”
Grosvenor Construction Ltd, a specialist in building conservation from Kinmel Bay, reconstructed the pier and Calibre Metalwork, Caulmert, Donald Insall Associates, and J Freeley Ltd, helped "bring the space back to life,” he added.
Cllr Cossey said: “Having the pier open for the public to use once more is another piece in the multi-million pound redevelopment of the Colwyn Bay waterfront and the physical regeneration of the town.
"It will be great to see families being able to enjoy the space as well as the beautiful coast line.”
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