Work is continuing to progress on a project to restore an historic wooden pier in Dunoon.

Last year, Argyll and Bute Council agreed to invest some £2.5m in the scheme. Now, the local authority has confirmed it has issued a contract notice for Phase 1A of the works. These will involve repairing the pedestrian walkway, the pier head and decking.

In addition, a contract for Phase 1B – which involves work on the waiting room and harbour master's office – has now also gone out and is available to view on the Public Contracts Scotland web portal.

Phase 1A can be found here and Phase 1B can be accessed here.

Contractors are invited to submit a tender for the project, with both phases expected to be awarded by the end of March 2015.

Work on Phase 1A is expected to begin in the summer. Between the contract award and work beginning, the successful contractor will carry out detailed joint surveys and order the necessary materials. The work will include:

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• The repair of the structural members that form the pedestrian walkway and area below the waiting room

• Traditional timber repairs to include pile, bracing, longitudinal tie repairs and reinstatement

• Repairs to decking and refurbishment of existing balustrade

• Crack repairs to stone foundations of present harbour masters building

• A review of services and utilities required for the pier including new lighting installation and foul water drainage from the waiting room.

Meanwhile, Phase 1B is set to begin in the spring with initial surveys of the buildings and looking at issues such as asbestos, timber decay and roof condition. The actual construction works will involve essential repairs to the harbour master's building and waiting room.

Councillor Dick Walsh, Leader of Argyll and Bute Council, commented: "This is a big step forward for the project. We recognise the importance of the pier to the people of Dunoon and the wider Cowal area – it's probably the best remaining example of a wooden Victorian-era pier in Scotland – and the council is committed to saving it as a first stage and then lobbying for further funding to bring it fully back to use.

"It's taken a lot of hard work in the background to get to this stage, with a few problems being ironed out, new techniques trialled, designs developed and the procurement processes followed and I am looking forward to the contracts being awarded and work beginning.

"Beyond this work, we are eager to lobby for further funding at national level to fulfil our long-term ambitions for both the pier and its buildings – bringing all the pier buildings back in to viable economic use and securing the pier head. We are fully committed to exploring any and all opportunities to preserve this iconic structure for future generations."

(JP/IT)