The Restoration Project
The restoration of Birnbeck Pier and Island is a large and complex project. It is being delivered in phases by different specialist contractors, made possible thanks to funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the UK government, the National Heritage Memorial Fund and Historic England.
Project timeline
| Phase | Period | Status | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emergency works | Autumn 2024 – Winter 2024 | Complete | Repairs to island sea wall, stabilisation of the 1888 boat house, clock tower pavilion and landside cliff face |
| Landside buildings | Autumn 2025 – Autumn 2026 | In progress | Repair and renovation of landside buildings, provision of essential services and infrastructure to the whole site |
| Pier restoration | Winter 2025 – Spring 2027 | In progress | Restoration of the pier structure |
Future phases of repair and renovation work to include the island buildings and the north jetty will follow. The timescale will be confirmed once funding conditions have been determined by HM Treasury following their announcement of an additional £19m in funding to enable these phases.
Contractors
- Emergency works: Teignmouth Maritime Services (TMS) and Vertical Technology.
- Landside buildings: Smith and Brenson (Bristol-based); proposals by Haverstock Associates Architects.
- Pier restoration: Mackley, a specialist civil engineering contractor; proposals by Studio Four Architects and Marbas engineers.
Funding
So far, over £44m in funding has been secured:
- UK government — £24.4m
- £19m awarded by HM Treasury from its Growth Mission Fund (March 2026).
- £5.4m awarded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government from the former Levelling Up Fund (January 2023).
- The National Lottery Heritage Fund — £15.74m
- £5.54m awarded September 2025.
- £10m awarded October 2024 to fund capital works to rescue and stabilise the pier structure.
- An initial grant of £234,761 awarded September 2022 to develop plans to transform and relaunch the pier as a visitor attraction.
- National Heritage Memorial Fund (via the UK government’s Cultural Assets Fund) — £3.55m
- Historic England — £1.1m
- £111,496 awarded August 2025 through the UK government’s Heritage at Risk Capital Fund.
North Somerset Council has also committed capital funding to cover risk contingency, ensuring the project is delivered responsibly and sustainably.
Our vision
Our ambition is for Birnbeck Pier and Island to re-open to the public, attracting visitors to this nationally important heritage site. The vision is not only to bring the pier and its buildings back from the brink of loss, but also to create a unique destination to support the regeneration of Weston-super-Mare.