13/07/2023
What amazing news, great to hear that work to restore the pier can finally begin
It’s official. We now own Birnbeck Pier. This means, together with the RNLI, we can start work immediately to restore it! 🙌🥳
The current owner has agreed to sell it to us at a sale price of £400k, funded by the RNLI.
Work will start on site in the coming weeks, starting with tidying up the car park area, fencing and putting up safety signage.
Councillor Mike Bell, our council Leader, said: “It’s taken years of planning, negotiation and sheer determination but we’re thrilled to announce Birnbeck Pier’s future is firmly in our hands and it’s once again looking bright.
“Thanks to our partners' unwavering support along with millions in funding, we will now be working as quickly as possible to get on site, prevent any further collapse and renovate the pier and its buildings for future generations to enjoy. We look forward to returning Birnbeck Pier to the RNLI and the people present and future of Weston-super-Mare as soon as possible.”
We’re incredibly grateful to our partners and funders, RNLI, Historic England, The Birnbeck Regeneration Trust, National Lottery Heritage Fund, the National Heritage Memorial Fund and the Levelling Up Fund for helping us reach this momentous day 🙏
Three phases of funding for the pier have been announced:
1️⃣ emergency funding from the National Heritage Memorial Fund of £3.55m to strengthen the pier ‘legs’ and create a temporary walkway onto the island
2️⃣ the first payment of £234,760 from a £4.525m funding pot from the National Heritage Lottery Fund to develop detailed proposals for the restoration and reuse of Birnbeck's buildings
3️⃣ £4.4m from the government's Levelling Up Fund.
Read more in our news story at https://n-somerset.gov.uk/news/north-somerset-council-now-owns-birnbeck-pier