REDCAR and Cleveland Borough Council is being asked for up to £50,000 for vital work to Saltburn Pier which has come to light during a £1m repair of the Victorian attraction.

In a report to the policy and resources committee, Dr Joan Rees, the council's director of economy and the environment, says the money is needed to secure the pier's future.

She is asking the council to meet a maximum shortfall of £50,000 which could remain following further contributions from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the European Regional Development Fund and the Friends of Saltburn Pier.

The pier is undergoing a £1m restoration as part of a package of schemes aimed at promoting Saltburn as a tourist destination and ensuring that the structure of the pier is made safe.

At the time of the original scheme, replacement of the pier head was considered, but was thought to be unnecessary.

However, recent storm tides have shown that there are serious structural defects in the legs of the pier head.

Council officials hope to build a new pier head using cast iron columns concreted into steel piles, with a new timber deck support structure.

Dr Rees says this will improve the design integrity of the pier, as well as providing long-term stability and durability.

The new construction would match the design of the cast iron columns on the original pier and would reproduce the original style of decking along the whole length of the pier. She says this option is favoured by English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund, who have both been asked to contribute further to the scheme.

The council's policy and resources committee is due to discuss the matter at a meeting tomorrow.