Restoration of Weston's crumbling Birnbeck Pier moves closer

It is the only pier in the country to link to an island

Work to restore a crumbling historic pier has moved a step closer with the appointment of architects and engineers to work on the project.

The Grade II-listed Birnbeck Pier, at Weston-super-Mare in Somerset, is in disrepair after being privately owned for several years.

North Somerset Council purchased the structure for £400k following a long-running legal dispute with the owner.

The project is large and technically complicated, the council said.

Restoration work to the landward side buildings will be delivered in 2024/2025 as the project successfully secured some of the government's Levelling Up funding.

Repairs to the legs of the pier structure and the partial restoration of the deck, which will create a safe access onto Birnbeck Island, will then take place.

The plans to restore the pier also involve reopening an RNLI station

The funding for the pier repair will come from grants from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and Historic England - and is being led by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).The RNLI will also progress designs for their new lifeboat station on Birnbeck Island which will "significantly improve" their operational effectiveness along the busy stretch of coast.  

The pier has fallen victim to vandals

A later part of the project will see the other buildings and structures on the island restored and the site fully opened to the public.  Duncan Wilson, chief executive of Historic England, said: "Birnbeck Pier is of great historical and symbolic importance to Weston-super-Mare and the surrounding region.

"But it has been a really difficult project so it is a great moment to celebrate this milestone in its rescue."