A NEW visitors’ shelter will be built on Southend Pierhead by next summer, to accommodate tourists and pupils on school trips.

Nigel Holdcroft, Tory leader of Southend Council, pledged to fund a new shelter, possibly a temporary one, following concerns raised by pier museum chairman, Peggy Dowie.

He spoke as the council went back to the drawing board to look at new ways of funding the pier’s redevelopment, after a £5million bid for Government cash was rejected.

Mrs Dowie said: “The trust is asking if the council will at least provide a temporary building at the pierhead, which would shelter visitors.

“It could also be a place where the many visiting school groups will be able to sit and eat their packed lunches.”

Mr Holdcroft said it was essential to have some sort of improved facilities at the pierhead, in time for next year’s summer season.

He added: “It would not be possible to complete a full redevelopment in time for next year, but something has to be done and we cannot leave things as they are.

“At the moment, it would be foolish to try and put up a temporary building at the pierhead. If it had been done before last weekend, then the winds would have sent it across the estuary.”

Mr Holdcroft said the council was now looking at other available sources of funding for the long-term future of the pier.

He added: “If these are not forthcoming, then we would have to look at our own capital budget, to see how redevelopment can be financed.

“If we carried out the redevelopment ourselves, we could provide what the people of Southend want at the pierhead, rather than having to satisfy other people.”