Weston-super-Mare - Birnbeck Pier restoration: ongoing developments and discussion

[whole diary]

[johnneyw]

Worth popping down to have a peer at what's going on though? 

Weather permitting, this might be the sort of project that, once it gets going, can show visible progress over relatively short periods and along with the Tropicana restructure, might be worth the occasional short train journey for me to keep up with developments.

[broadgage]

Perhaps Minehead pier might be rebuilt, whilst the local authority are at it.
It was removed as a temporary measure, as part of the war effort.
The Old Ship Aground could then be restored to its previous name of The Pier Hotel.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Wood from historic pier to be recycled into furniture

A project to turn wood from a derilict pier into furniture which can then be resold to raise funds for its restoration has been announced.

North Somerset Council partnered with Somerset Wood Recycling to transform material from Birnbeck Pier that cannot be reused.

The grade II^▸ (IndustryInsider - a respected member of this forum) listed structure in Weston-super-Mare has been closed for more than 30 years due to safety concerns but is due to be restored during a £20m programme of improvements.

A spokesperson for Somerset Wood Recycling said they were "excited" to make "a little bit of Weston's heritage available for people to own".

The Community Interest Company (CIC^» (Community Interest Company - about)), based in Weston-super-Mare, recycles second-hand timber from across the county and transforms it into furniture.

The partnership with the council had been made possible with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Tom Palmer, director of the CIC, said he was "looking forward to finding a new purpose for timber reclaimed from the pier".

Councillor Mark Canniford said: "Not only does this enable us to repurpose the wood from our much-loved old pier, by working with Somerset Wood Recycling we're able to get the community involved with the process too."

Birnbeck, known locally as 'The Old Pier', is the only pier in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) to link to an island - a small, rocky piece of land known as Birnbeck Island. Since its closure it has been battered by storms, partially collapsed into the sea and has become too unsafe for the former resident RNLI^» (Royal National Lifeboat Institution - website) lifeboat crews to use.

Building renovations have been carried out on the land-side of the pier, while the 1888 boat house, the clock tower pavilion and the land-side cliff face - all of which are on the island - were also stabilised in 2024.

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

[Chris from Nailsea]

Another update, from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

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^▸ (IndustryInsider - a respected member of this forum)-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^▸ (Member of Parliament, or Mile Post (a method of measuring the railway in miles and chains from a starting point - usually London), depending on context) 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^▸ (United Kingdom) 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^» (Royal National Lifeboat Institution - website) lifeboat crews to use.

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

[broadgage]

Pier now re connected to the main land, BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) report.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/cvgl9yepjxvo