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At a sale price of £400k, funded by the RNLI, the purchase now means North Somerset Council can start work jointly with the charity on the restoration of Birnbeck Pier immediately, avoiding further delays.
Work will start on site in the coming weeks at pace, starting with tidying up the car park area, fencing and putting up safety signage.
Studio Four Architects and engineers have been appointed by the RNLI to develop a detailed proposal for the pier restoration and the new lifeboat station on the island. Haverstock Associates Architects have been appointed to develop proposals for the island and landside restoration and associated buildings.
Cllr Mike Bell, Leader of North Somerset Council, 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.”
The sale includes North Somerset Council agreeing to lease an area on the pier approach for parking to Birnbeck Holdings Ltd as well as providing permits in the Madeira car park should a development on the former Royal Pier Hotel site be completed before July 2033.
Cllr Bell continued: “We agreed to these terms in the interest of Birnbeck Pier which now means the Compulsory Purchase Order Public Inquiry will not take place. Although our case was very strong, there was always a risk that Birnbeck Holdings Ltd could have challenged the decision in the High Court. Time which the pier and the other buildings don’t have.”
North Somerset Council will own Birnbeck Pier with an area of the island leased to the RNLI for a new lifeboat station to be built.
An updated formal agreement has been put in place which sets out how the Council and RNLI will work together in future years to return public access to the pier as quickly as possible and reinstate the RNLI’s vital life-saving service direct from the island.
Duncan Macpherson, RNLI Principal Estates Manager, said: “Securing ownership of the island is a culmination of years of hard work and has been incredibly challenging. The RNLI is grateful for the support and commitment of North Somerset Council in its determination to secure a long-term base for the RNLI’s lifesaving in Weston-super-Mare.
“This is an exciting and crucial step for the charity and our dedicated team of volunteers at Weston RNLI.
“After many years of investigation of over 20 alternative sites in and around Weston, Birnbeck Island offers the charity the safest and most effective place for our volunteer crew to launch and recover their lifeboats. It is the only place that our volunteers can safely provide a lifesaving service for the town at all states of tide.
“We’re delighted to be able to forward with the next stage of engineering and design works to restore access and reinstate a lifesaving facility on the island.”
Three phases of funding for the pier have been announced - emergency funding from the National Heritage Memorial Fund of £3.55m to strengthen the pier ‘legs’ and create an interim walkway onto the island. Alongside this, The National Lottery Heritage Fund has initially supported the project with a grant of £234,761 to enable plans to progress for a full grant application of £4.3m at a later date. As part of this, detailed proposals for the restoration and reuse of Birnbeck's buildings will be created. The project has also received £4.4m from the government’s Levelling Up Fund.
Duncan Wilson CBE, Chief Executive of Historic England, said: “This is wonderful news for Birnbeck Pier. We applaud the Council, the RNLI and many other partners for their hard work in securing its future. It’s great to know that the repair of this beautiful historic structure, one of the most important Victorian piers in the country, can now get under way.”
Dr Simon Thurley CBE, Chair of the National Heritage Memorial Fund, said: "Birnbeck Pier is one of the greatest memorials to Victorian ingenuity and engineering in the UK. We are delighted to hear of this fantastic milestone in the pier's restoration journey thanks to the hard work of North Somerset Council, the RNLI and their partners. We are proud to be supporting those plans with a £3.55m National Heritage Memorial Fund grant, which will strengthen the pier structure and create an interim walkway onto the island."
Cllr John Crockford-Hawley, North Somerset Councillor and Heritage Champion, said: “Today is a key date in Weston-super-Mare’s history – a day when we can finally start work on renovating Birnbeck Pier so residents and visitors alike will be able to enjoy it once again. We are very grateful to our partners and funders, RNLI, Historic England, Birnbeck Regeneration Trust, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the National Heritage Memorial Fund and the Levelling Up Fund for supporting us reach this momentous day.”
For more information about the Birnbeck Pier project, please visit www.n-somerset.gov.uk/birnbeckpierproject.