A multi-million pound rebuild of a crumbling Swansea pier is a step closer.
Associated British Ports (ABP) has been given approval by council planning officers to rebuild a 240-metre section of Swansea West Pier's inner wall.
ABP, which owns Swansea docks, said it has appointed a contractor and that construction was due to start in June, subject to securing further licenses and approvals.
The timber and concrete inner wall has deteriorated in recent years, mainly due to winter storm surges.
Long sections of it are cordoned off to the public.
Emergency repairs were carried out in December 2017 and the summer of 2018, but the structure took another battering last winter.
An APB spokeswoman said: "We continue to monitor the pier and take the necessary steps to ensure that it is safe."
The more visible concrete metal outer pier - separating Swansea beach from the River Tawe and sometimes used by surfers - is in a better condition.
The APB spokeswoman said it aimed to minimise disruption to the nearby Tawe lock, through which boats from the marina access the bay, during construction.
The company was given a marine licence for the project, which has been estimated at around £15 million, in March by Natural Resources Wales.
It still needs Admiralty consent from the Welsh Government.
The West Pier was built in the 1800s to help shipping navigate into and out of the town’s busy docks.
Asked in 2018 if the public would have full access along the rebuilt pier wall, ABP said it was consulting on the proposal.
