The pier was closed with emergency powers on 16 June

It said estimates were "very bad news for those who were hoping the bulk of the pier would reopen quickly".

Most of the pier was closed on 16 June after its structure was deemed unsafe.

Traders hit by a loss of business were given new hope when the town's MP intervened, but the council said its latest findings were a big setback.

Michael Foster, the MP for Hastings and Rye, met borough council leader Peter Pragnell and a representative from the pier's owners, Ravenclaw Investments, on Monday.

There is little prospect of the closed section of the pier reopening in the near future Hastings Borough Council

It was agreed that the council and owners would arrange for separate inspections to see how much temporary repairs to steelworks under the foyer area would cost.

A council statement said: "Our experts have estimated the cost of designing a temporary support is between £75,000 and £100,000 and the cost of building the support is between £500,000 and £1m.

"They also advise... that there is a real chance the [final] cost could exceed £1m."

The council concluded: "There is little prospect of the closed section of the pier reopening in the near future."

It said it was waiting to hear what Ravenclaw Investments' proposals for temporary repairs would be.

Former pier manager Brian Welsh said the losses incurred by traders had been "astronomical".