A beloved Wirral attraction has been given the go-ahead for a rebuild after getting backing from the local council.
The Black Pearl pirate ship has proved immensely popular with the community since it first became a fixture in New Brighton's aptly-named Cosy Cove in 2012. The previous incarnation of the ship was destroyed by storms in February 2020, leaving fans of the attraction "heartbroken".
The ship's demise was closely followed by the pandemic, meaning that people have been left waiting for news on its future. But now one of the Black Pearl's "pirates" has confirmed that they have been given the green light to start work on The Black Pearl V.
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Shipbuilder, Norman Ord, told the ECHO: “People have been waiting a long time to get some news. There were massive amounts of red tape involved this time because we wanted to do it in the right way.
"We had to appease Natural England and the Marine Conservation Society as well as Wirral Borough Council. The council has been absolutely fantastic.
"They’ve taken this on board and fought our corner with all these organisations. Yesterday, we actually got the okay to go ahead and build. We put a post on Facebook which already has thousands of likes, which has been amazing."
The idea for The Black Pearl first came about when a young girl suggested that artist Frank Lund and Major Mace build a ship in the area. Since then, the project has gone from strength to strength, and Norman believes that the current economic climate means that the free attraction is needed more than ever.
He said: " It’s a community project that everybody wants to get involved with. Families can come down and spend a whole day on the beach and it costs nothing for a good day. In light of what’s happening around us with fuel prices and food prices going up, people have got no money.
"So, here’s something throughout the summer that kids can go and enjoy for nothing and we all need a bit of fun in our lives. We absolutely love building it the kids love playing on it.”
The previous ship lasted for six years, and work has already begun to ensure that The Black Pearl V is even better than its predecessor.
Norman said: “We went down yesterday and have already started digging the sand out for anchor points. Over the next couple of weekends, we’re thinking of doing a community dig because it’s a massive job shifting all that sand.
"We can get all the kids down with some buckets and spades which will keep them entertained. Everyone is itching to get going."
Norman and the team hope that the basic infrastructure will be in place in a few months time, but it could be a couple of years before the ship is completed.
You can keep up to date with The Black Pear's progress here.
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