Pier 'on brink of loss' receives £10m package

A crumbling Grade II listed pier has been handed a £10m package to save it from being lost forever.

Birnbeck Pier, in Weston-super-Mare, has been in disrepair for 20 years after being privately owned, before being sold to North Somerset Council.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund has given the council the money while work is ongoing to reopen the Victorian landmark to the public.

Eilish McGuinness, chief executive of the fund, said: "Birnbeck Pier is set to be brought back from the brink of loss, ensuring its 160-year historic legacy is preserved for generations to come."

The project to reopen the pier, which is on Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register, is expected to be completed by Autumn 2027.

The money, which has been funded by National Lottery players, will mean more listed buildings on the pier and island can be restored, and a new RNLI lifeboat station can be built.

The announcement comes on the 160th anniversary of the pier's foundation stone being laid.

Ms McGuinness said: “This is great news for Weston-super-Mare and beyond.

"We are proud to be part of this transformative project, which promises to enhance and regenerate the cultural and economic landscape of the area, provide local employment opportunities and be a source of pride and enjoyment for generations to come."

Councillor Mike Bell, North Somerset Council leader, said £10m was a significant amount of money.

He added: "We’re so grateful to The National Lottery Heritage Fund for their ongoing support of our project to restore Birnbeck Pier."

"I must also acknowledge and thank National Lottery players as this simply wouldn’t have been possible without them."

The pier is among six Grade II listed piers in England and the only in the UK to connect the mainland to an island.

It played a significant role during World War Two as it was commissioned for weapon trials, including the famous Sir Barnes Wallis ‘bouncing bomb’.

Follow BBC Somerset on Facebook and X. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.