No British seaside resort is complete without a really good pier. Appearing during the Victorian era, there were once over 100 of these long wooden structures stretching from the coast towards the horizon, filled with everything from arcades to fish and chips and swimming pools. But now, thanks to a combination of fires, neglect and decay, only 55 piers remain in use across the country.
However, that number is about to go up. Weston-super-Mare’s Birnbeck Pier has been purchased for £400,000 by North Somerset Council and is set to undergo a major glow-up. The Victorian pier is also the only one in the UK that connects to an island but, after being closed to the public in 1994 and left to deteriorate, it’s a pretty sad sight right now.
Renovation plans include strengthening the pier’s foundations, rejuvenating its buildings and the construction of a new walkway to the island. The RNLI, which helped to fund the purchase, also intends to build a new lifeboat station on the connecting island. The council will use £4.4m of its £20m Levelling Up Fund from the government to make these plans come to fruition.
Council leader Mike Bell 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 people, present and future, of Weston-super-Mare as soon as possible.’
Did you see: England’s stunning official ‘pier of the year’ basically goes on for ever?