Birnbeck Pier restoration plans to be considered

North Somerset Council will consider construction contracts at a meeting on 7 February

North Somerset Council is set to consider the next steps in the restoration of the historic Birnbeck Pier.

Councillors will discuss construction contracts for restoring the Grade II-listed pier at a meeting on 7 February.

The authority bought the Weston-super-Mare site last year after years of legal issues.

Cllr Mark Canniford said: "I can't understate the importance of this moment."

He added: "We're at a pivotal point in the successful delivery of this large, complex and multi-funded restoration project," he added.

"We need to be able to get the right contractors on board to work alongside us and our funding partners to deliver the project, some of it extremely specialist, in a timely manner, to a good standard and of course on budget."

North Somerset Council attempted to acquire the structure from previous owners CNM Estates through a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO).

CNM Estates eventually withdrew its objections to the CPO and the pier was sold for £400,000.

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

The council will consider plans which include work to carry out to restore and renovate the pavilion and other structures on the island, restoration of the landslide buildings and essential public safety work.

Birnbeck Pier is the only pier in the UK to link to an island, and served as an RNLI lifeboat station for more than a century before the charity was forced to abandon it in 2014 following safety issues.

The project to restore it is being funded by the UK'S Government's Levelling Up Fund, National Heritage Memorial Fund, The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England.

The specialist contracts, collectively valued at over £7m, include removing asbestos, repairing the sea walls and carrying out safety work on the rock face at the pier head.

A space for a café and other visitor facilities such as toilets could be created as part of the restoration.