Plans to restore historic pier take major step forward

Work on the restoration of an historic West Country pier have taken a step forward.

The Grade II-listed Birnbeck Pier, near Weston-super-Mare, has fallen into a state of disrepair and has closed to the public.

The structure which links Birnbeck Island to the mainland was privately owned but has now been bought by North Somerset Council for £400,000.

Restoration work on the landward side buildings will now take place after the project was awarded a grant from the government’s levelling-up fund.

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 be carried out.

The funding for the pier repair will come from grants from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and Historic England

The RNLI are also looking at designs for a new lifeboat station on Birnbeck Island which will “significantly improve” their operational effectiveness in the Bristol Channel.

A later part of the project will see the other buildings and structures on the island restored and the site reopened 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.”