Withernsea Pier Media Coverage
Withernsea and district Community News February 2023
Withernsea and district Community News May 2022
Yorkshire Post April 2022
Withernsea Pier and Promenade Association aims to create a 500ft pier eventually – smaller than the original of 1877, which lasted less than 30 years after being hit by a number of ships. The first stage, creating a viewing platform, was due to start last March, but got tied up in red tape.
The project, which has taken six years and raised £269,000 so far, was then nearly scuppered by spiralling steel prices – which have doubled in less than a year - partially because of energy prices and also the war in Ukraine – Mariupol’s Azovstal Iron and Steel Works, where Ukrainian fighters are holding out, was one of the largest in Europe.
A view of the pier in 1880
The association approached Thirsk firm Cleveland Steel & Tubes Ltd which has agreed to offer a substantial discount on the price of their piling steel to help start the project.
Paul Thornton, chair of the association, said that without the firm’s help “we would probably be sunk”.
He added: “Ultimately we are looking to turn Withernsea round. The pier is a regeneration project aiming to generate footfall.
“Ninety-eight per cent of businesses have become members or put in money for the project.
“The only frustration has been the delays. We have gone through a lot of false dawns, and we don’t want this to be another false dawn.
“At this point in time I can’t foresee any issues standing in our way preventing us from going ahead.”
The Thirsk firm stockpiles 80,000 tonnes of steel which are surplus to or from cancelled oil pipeline projects.
Roy Fishwick, the firm's managing director, said: "It's a great Yorkshire regeneration project that hits our sweet spot for materials and sustainability.
"There's 60 or 70 tonnes of carbon being saved versus them building it out new."
The group is now waiting for their two main funders – Lottery-funded Withernsea Big Local and East Coast Communities – to release the money they need in the hope of starting work on the viewing platform this year, most likely in September.
The first stage of the work, which will take around six weeks involves removing the rock armour, doing the piling and replacing the rock armour.
There have been hopes it could get started this spring, but the timescale is getting ever tighter, as it has to be completed for the start of the summer season on June 1.
Committee member Rachel Larsen, whose husband Torkel came across the original drawings for the pier when they were clearing out their house, said there had been times when all association members wanted to quit.
East Riding Council threw a spanner in the works last year, she said, when its estates department got involved, after it had gone successfully through planning and building control.
She said: “Right at the last moment they said they had 67 queries on the drawings. We came back within two weeks and they said as a result of these answers we have another 20 queries and we want to see the piling drawings. It has been so hard to keep going with every little problem we keep having.
“We still keep seeing light at the end of the tunnel. It would be so nice to have a positive news story.”
Supporter Phil Mathison said: “With rapidly increasing material costs, we really thought we were going to be struggling, and we are very thankful to Cleveland Steel.
"The project has gone from practically dead in the water to extremely alive.”
Withernsea and district Community News February 2022
Interview of MP Graham Stewart about the Withernsea Pier Project 2nd June 2021
To listen to the interview click here
Walking the plank BBC Radio4 program 19th April 2021
Withernsea and district Community News April 2021
Withernsea and district Community News February 2021
Radio Interview with BBC Radio Humberside 18th November 2020
To listen to the interview, click here
Holderness Gazette 15th November 2020
Holderness Gazette 27th August 2020
Holderness Gazette 21st May 2020
The Yorkshire Post 2nd February 2020
Full online article in the Yorkshire Post click here
Holderness Gazette 30th January 2020
Holderness Gazette 9th January 2020
BBC News 3rd December 2019
Holderness Gazette 10th October 2019
Holderness Gazette 5th September 2019
Holderness Gazette 8th August 2019
National Pier Society August 2019
Holderness Gazette 8th August 2019
Hull Live 6th August 2019
Click here for full online article
Holderness Gazette 27th June 2019
Holderness Gazette 23rd May 2019
Holderness Gazette 9th May 2019
Holderness Gazette 25th April 2019
Hull Live 20th April 2019
BBC Radio Humberside 17th April 2019
Our secretary Sam Watson is interview on the Andy Comfort Show about the Withernsea Pier.
Interview is at 2:35:16 following this link to
BBC online
The interview
can be downloaded here
Yorkshire Post 4th April 2019
Holderness Gazette 7th March 2019
Holderness Gazette 17th January 2019
Holderness Gazette 22nd November 2018
Holderness Gazette 13th September 2018
Holderness Gazette 9th August 2018
Hull Daily Mail 6th August 2018
The National Piers Society Quaterly Magazine Issue 128, July 2018
Interview on BBC radio Humberside 30th May 2018
Pier interview on the David Burns Show can be downloaded here
The Holderness Gazette 17th May 2018
The Holderness Gazette 29th March 2018
The Holderness Gazette 15th March 2018
The Holderness Gazette 15th February 2018
The Holderness Gazette 2nd November 2017
The Holderness Gazette 8th June 2017
Holderness Heartbeat June 2017
The Holderness Gazette 16th March 2017
The Holderness Gazette 2nd February 2017
The Hull Daily Mail 13th of May 2016
Holderness Gazette front cover on Thursday, May 5th 2016
Withernsea Pier and Promenade Association Ltd. 2 High Brighton Street, Withernsea HU19 2HL. Registered in England. Company number 10593143