Historic pier gets £19m to complete restoration

The restoration of a crumbling historic pier can be completed after the government allocated a further £19m to the project.

The money from the Growth Mission Fund will be invested into Birnbeck Pier in Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset, to create a new cultural space, restore the historic clock tower and turnstiles, repair the 1888 boathouse, renovate the pavilion buildings and restore the North Jetty.

The Grade II*-listed pier has been closed for more than 30 years due to safety concerns, but work on a £20m project to restore it is under way.

Dan Aldridge, the MP for Weston-super-Mare, said: "For too long the pier stood as a symbol of decline. Now it will become a symbol of Weston's comeback."

The money allocated by the government comes from a pot aimed at providing investment in town centres and communities.

Aldridge told the government Weston-super-Mare "could not afford to miss out" on receiving a share of the fund, he said.

He added: "Birnbeck should be a hub for Weston - somewhere people come together, where opportunities are created and where the whole town can feel proud again."

North Somerset Council leader Mike Bell called the money "game-changing".

"A year ago we thought that the project was in jeopardy," he said.

"We can now fast-track the work on the island and the land-side to really bring the pier and island back to life and hopefully boost the economy of Weston-super-Mare for generations to come."

Birnbeck, known locally as 'The Old Pier', is the only pier in the UK to link to an island - a small, rocky piece of land known as Birnbeck Island.

Since its closure, the pier has been battered by storms, partially collapsed into the sea and has become too unsafe for the former resident RNLI lifeboat crews to use.

The restoration project is expected to be completed by summer 2027.

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