WORK has started on a £1million-plus master plan to turn Clacton Pier into all-year-round attraction.

Pier director Billy Ball said the aim of the plan is to create an all-weather attraction for 52-weeks of the year.

The projects already underway are costing in excess of £225,000, but the total amount to be invested will be more than £1million.

Mr Ball said that the areas under refurbishment are 90 years old and the aim is improve them ready for the next 90 years and more.

“We have already removed an old workshop on the east side and reconcreted ready for new attractions later this year,” he said.

“People have started to notice that something is taking place and we will be putting up a sign on the wall on the east side saying ‘watch this space’.

“We hope to keep any disruption to an absolute minimum, but we can achieve much more in the summer when the weather is in our favour and the long-term gain will be worth the short-term pain.”

The plans involve modernising and strengthening the infrastructure of the pier ready for a significant upgrade and for the second phase of the works, which will take place from the end of the season.

This week piles and beam repairs to the east side of the structure and the car park will get underway.

The area being upgraded has been relatively untouched since the 1930s.

The existing parking area on the pier will be removed and replaced with more outside seating, as well as food and drink offer.

On the west side of the pier a project is already underway to replace an old transformer with a new one to provide more power.

“We will be doubling the amount of power available and getting rid of an old transformer which has been there since the year dot,” added Mr Ball.

“The replacement will be to modern standards and much more environmentally friendly.

“This is all just a taster of what is to come over the next 12 months and beyond as we try to make every square foot of the pier to pay for itself.

“We have six acres of real estate sticking out into the sea and when we took over nothing was being done with about four acres - and that had to change.

“Everything we do is about sustainability and making a 146-year-old structure relevant to today’s leisure needs.”

The pier recently installed a new sign as part of a £25,000 upgraded to the frontage of the attraction.