Largo Pier
PIER PROJECT… where from here December 2024
LARGO HARBOUR AREA REGENERATION. UPDATE
Last October, at the community meeting at the Durham Hall, the Pier Group announced that their work to renovate the damaged pier had stopped. This was due to several factors: lack of funding, timescales relating to agreed funding, legal issues on ownership and indemnity issues with LCT. However, it was promised that efforts would continue to investigate other ways to get the pier restored.
A workshop was held at the Crusoe Hotel on Friday 5th September to look at the following issues; stabilisation and maintenance of the pier to avoid further damage, potential for damage to adjacent infrastructure and homes (if more of the pier is lost), innovative ways of restoring the pier (linking it to wider issues like marine erosion, sustainability, tourism etc) and alternative sources of funding. The workshop was attended by 16 invited people including: our local MP Wendy Chamberlain, our MSP Jenny Gilruth, local Councillors, Graham Bucknall (Crusoe Hotel), Sailing Club, Boat Club, LCT and a number of locals who had expressed interest in the pier.
The meeting was very positive but acknowledged that the biggest issue in restoring the pier will be funding. Funding from public bodies generally requires that the project can demonstrate a commercial benefit to the community. So far, we have not been able to do this with any great success. Maybe someone knows of a wealthy benefactor!!
The current owners of the Crusoe Hotel lease the building and the pier to Graham and Rachel Bucknall. It is their intention to fully purchase the hotel in the future. They are very aware of the maintenance issues around the pier and the harbour walls at their car park and want to work with the pier group and the Boat Club to look at the ongoing maintenance.
A new Harbour Area Regeneration Group has been formed. This will include representatives from; Crusoe Hotel, LCT, Boat Club, Sailing Club, Friends of Largo Bay, and a number of locals passionate about the pier. Their remit will be confirmed at the first meeting (to be held in the next month or so), but it is likely to be threefold. Firstly, to make sure that the pier is suitably maintained and stabilised. Secondly, to look at the potential damage that could be caused to the road bridge, local businesses and homes if the pier is damaged further. Thirdly, to look at innovative ways to fund and restore the pier. The original remit from the Community was to try to restore the pier to its original length and condition while making sure that its construction was fit to withstand future storms. The Group will be approaching any restoration of the pier with a more open mind so that funding may be more forthcoming and that the benefits to the local and wider community are investigated.
So far approximately £80,000 has been spent on the potential pier restoration. Nearly half of this was donated by the community. Most of this money has been spent on obtaining a design proposal for the pier restoration with some monies being used to undertake some maintenance of the pier. The restoration of our pier is a project dear to the heart of our villages, and we wish to see to something positive happening to this crumbling edifice.
We will keep everyone updated on how this new Group progresses.
Many Thanks
Brendan Diamond
Interim Co-Chair of New Largo Harbour Area Regeneration Group.
PIER PROJECT… where from here December 2024
Crossroads
At the public meeting organised by LCT on behalf of the local Pier Group (Tuesday, 29th October 2024), the existing members of The Pier Group presented the extensive work carried out over the last six years and the current status of the project. It is now back to the community to give direction and support to see what can be done.
Summary
The current Pier Group have presented the reasons why they reluctantly made the decision to stop work on all aspects of the work to deliver the refurbishment of the damaged pier. The group also recognised that after extensive discussions with all the stakeholders in the future of the pier, that a different way forward was needed. Work could not continue with the current structure for funding.
Challenges and headwinds
This decision was made based on several key factors:
Despite a massive effort by the group, sufficient funding could not be found to cover the estimated £2m costs.
The current climate for funds is extremely tough. The community support for the group was massive and yet large potential funders felt unable to contribute to this project.
Levenmouth Reconnected (potential Government / Local authority funding) were hugely supportive and indicated significant support. However, this came with an insurmountable caveat that all work on the pier had to be completed by 31st March 2026. The pier group had obtained designs, costings and programme from an engineering consultant. From this information it became clear that the 31st March 2026 would not be achievable. It also became clear that as money “ran out”, the pier group did not have sufficient funds in place to instruct the final designs necessary to obtain Planning Permission (not perceived as an issue) and to progress designs to allow tendering of the project. Latterly, Levenmouth reconnected were the only potential major supporters still in the frame. A huge thanks to those involved for the support.
The pier group became part of LCT in 2020. The potential liability involved with the future ownership, management and refurbishment of the pier has rested with LCT since then. Again, it was a lack of funding to pay for legal advice to protect the community from liability and the complexities of the ownership of the pier. Despite a route forward being identified, insufficient progress was made regarding the legal agreements.
Next Steps
Most members of the Pier Group are keen to find another way forward. They have invested a lot of hard work and passion on the project, channelling the massive local support. Given the nature of the issues, it is considered that a different approach has to be undertaken perhaps as a separate charity involving significant stakeholders from the start. e.g. The Crusoe, Lower Largo residents, the Boat Club and Fife Council?
The pier is owned by Thunder Holdings Ltd. Graham & Rachel Bucknall (The Crusoe) have a term agreement with Thunder Holdings. Thunder Holdings wish all communications to be with “The Crusoe” meantime. The Crusoe are very keen to move forward with “something” but a restoration as it was proposed is “beyond them”. The Crusoe are very aware of their duty to maintain the pier from further damage. The existing members of the pier group are keen to work with The Crusoe given the large amount of knowledge and expertise that has been accumulated.
It may be that full funding could be obtained from a wealthy individual or corporation (all suggestions welcome).
Fears were raised at the community meeting about what would happen if the pier deteriorated further. This is very likely as the pier has suffered further damage since the ‘beast from the east’ storm in 2018. Conjectural evidence suggests that the adjacent road bridge has been affected by recent storms and that the loss of the pier could make this worse. There is also the fear that the loss of the pier would allow waves from an easterly storm to have a greater impact on the dwellings just beyond the bridge. Fife Council have repeatedly said (reiterated after the meeting) that they are unable to pay for the refurbishment of the pier or for a study into the potential damage to their road bridge.
Thank You
The pier group are very aware of the money raised by the community to fund the project to date. A huge vote of thanks must go to them all. This money has not been wasted and has purchased an excellent set of design and survey information that be used in the future.
Raymond Muszynski and Brendan Diamond
Co-chairs of Largo Pier Group
And further…
The LCT Chair and the Committee members were most grateful for the support given by the community at the Durham Hall Pier meeting. As would have been the recently retired past Chairman of the Committee,
Jimmy Simson, had he been able to attend.
A Chairman requires tact, diplomacy, persuasion, humour and vision.
Jimmy applied all those qualities together with his determination and
tenacity to steer the Committee to its conclusion.
The LCT Chair and past and present members of the Pier Committee wish
to place on record their appreciation for the support received from
within the Largo community and to thank Jimmy for his Chairmanship.
