£2.2M project to fix Gorey Pier

Friday 21 March 2014

Islanders living and working near Gorey Pier will have to get used to the sound of drilling if Planning approve a new £2.2 M project to fix it next winter.

Emergency works are due to start next month to repair damage caused by the recent storms and to strengthen the foundations and structure which should be finished by July but there’s also major cracking and movement in the concrete jetty and deck which needs fixing.

The Port of Jersey say the worst cracking is where the Pier has no foundations beneath the outside wall so it’s sitting directly on sand. If Planning agree, they’ll close off the pier to replace the concrete deck and repair the buildings.

The company say work should be finished by next Easter but that some disturbance is inevitable during the drilling and anchorage work. But they are reassuring boat owners and businesses in the area that they can still continue to operate.

The Port of Jersey’s Group Infrastructure Director Ray Hine said: “Gorey is a working harbour and there is a responsibility to boat owners, local businesses and the public to ensure that it remains a safe environment for all who use it. We also have a duty to keep interested parties informed of what is happening and when, which is why we have already started engaging with them in the form of an information leaflet and personal briefings. We also plan to hold a public drop-in session in due course to allow people the opportunity to discuss the plans in more detail with members of the project management team.”

The company carried out a similar stabilisation project on the north pier of St Aubin’s Harbour in 2010. 

Money to carry out the works will come from the Ports of Jersey Trading Fund and not through government funding.