Birnbeck Pier: Councillors to discuss 'pivotal' restoration plan

North Somerset Council will tomorrow (February 7) be setting out the next steps for the restoration of the iconic Birnbeck Pier in Weston-Super-Mare.

They'll be considering proposals for construction contracts to bring the pavilion back to life, restore the landside building and essential safety work.

They're expected to cost more than £7 million, thanks to money from the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund, National Heritage Memorial Fund, The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England.

Councillor Mark Canniford, the council's executive member responsible for placemaking, as well as local ward member, said: “A plan going to a council meeting may on the surface sound like a regular occurrence, but I can’t understate the importance of this moment. We’re at a pivotal point in the successful delivery of this large, complex and multi-funded restoration project.

“We need to be able to get the right contractors on board to work alongside us and our funding partners to deliver the project, some of it extremely specialist, in a timely manner, to a good standard and of course on budget.”

The contracts, collectively valued at over £7m, include:

• Specialist contracts for advanced phases of work required to protect public safety and the integrity of the land, buildings and structures before the main restoration work (up to £575k). This includes asbestos removal, repair of the sea walls, safety work to the rock face at the pier head. This also may include work to buildings on the island including the clocktower and the 1888 boathouse
• Restoration and renovation work funded by the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund (up to £3.9m). This includes restoration of the landside buildings and creating space for a café and other visitor facilities including toilets
• Restoration and renovation work funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund (around £4.5m). The following would only go ahead if a future grant of £4.2m is awarded: work to the pavilion and other structures on the island, restoration of turnstiles and further visitor improvements. The National Lottery Heritage Fund has already awarded an initial grant of £234,761 to be spent on the development phase of the project

The plan, which contains details of the various contracts being suggested, will be published tomorrow (Tuesday 30 January) on the council's website.

More information about the Birnbeck Pier Project can be found on the council’s website.

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