The project has secured over £25m in external funding, with an additional £7m grant application under consideration. Credit: North Somerset Council.

A detailed planning application has been submitted to advance the restoration of the Birnbeck Pier and Island in the UK.

The application has been submitted by Haverstock Associates Architects on behalf of North Somerset Council.

Haverstock has been appointed by the council as architects of the project.

The application encompasses a range of restoration and redevelopment works, including the refurbishment of Grade II listed buildings and the creation of a new lifeboat station.

The council took ownership of Birnbeck Pier in July 2023 for £400,000 ($505,000), with funding from the Royal National Lifeboat Association (RNLI), kickstarting the collaboration to restore the pier.

Studio Four Architects and engineers, appointed by the RNLI, are focusing on the pier and lifeboat station while Haverstock Associates Architects are tasked with the island and landside restoration.

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The proposals put forward by Haverstock include fitting out the South Toll House and other landside buildings, reinstating the historic gate line, stabilising the pavilion on Birnbeck Island, and creating a new toilet block.

The plans also detail the refurbishment of the 1888 boathouse to house a café and community space, alongside public realm enhancements such as lighting, information points, and landscaping.

The comprehensive redevelopment of the Weston-super-Mare site, home to the country’s only pier connecting to an island, will involve several planning applications.

This project has already secured more than £25m in external funding, with significant contributions from various sources such as the National Lottery Heritage Fund, RNLI, the UK Government, National Heritage Memorial Fund, and Historic England.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund has been a major supporter, providing £10.2m, with £10m awarded in October 2024 for the pier’s structural rescue and stabilisation.

Councillor Mark Canniford, the council’s executive member responsible for placemaking, as well as a local ward member, said: “It’s great to see more significant milestones being achieved as momentum builds in the delivery of this complex project. Last month, we submitted our bid to The National Lottery Heritage Fund for an additional £7m in funding, and this planning application sets out the work we intend to deliver if that bid is successful.

“I’m particularly pleased to see clear proposals for delivering our aspiration to create a safe and accessible route for people around the island. We want visitors to explore and enjoy as much of the heritage of the island as possible.”

An additional £7m grant application is under consideration, with a decision expected in early 2025.

The restoration work outlined in this Phase 2b planning application is contingent on further funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, which is also expected to be determined by early 2025.