Salen Pier (Isle of Mull) – A new Waverley Landing Place and a Pier
This is a landing pier I was not previously aware of, but this article highlights that considerable investment has been made in restoring a previously disused and hazardous structure. The pier has been restored by a private owner; the funding being largely self-generated, and ongoing funding being provided by the pier’s use for a number of holiday cottages and lodges. The pier’s website suggests that it is the only holiday accommodation on a UK pier, this being provided by two chalets in a matching style to the original pier buildings, as well as further cottages on the pier foreshore. The Waverley team were made aware of this newly restored pier, and were keen to indicate support for it by arranging a landing on the 27th May. It seems that normally pier access is restricted to guests of the holiday lodges, but this day saw numerous visitors granted access to the pier. There is a very good video report in the attached article, which forms a good introduction to this commendable restoration project.
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Pier Website
Bognor Regis Pier – Ongoing Refurbishment Works
The operations manager for Bognor Regis Pier has indicated a number of renovations to take place at the pier, including repairs to the roof terrace and the (previously reported) repainting of the pier. This follows the reopening of the nightclub as “Venue 24”. It is positive to hear transparent communications from the owners of the pier, and that the structure is benefitting from financial investment.
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Weston-Super-Mare Grand Pier – A Trial for Dog Access
A 1 month trial period has been planned for the allowance of dogs to the pier. Naturally, a number of strict rules are in place to maintain order, but the new policy is hoped to remain permanent if the trial proves to be a success. Dog refreshments of various kinds are also available.
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Worthing Pier – Noted Restaurant to Relocate
One of Worthing Pier’s well-renowned restaurant businesses has indicated that they will be relocating to new premises in Worthing. Tern Restaurant has been situated in the pier’s Southern Pavilion since 2023, seemingly sharing the space with Perch on the Pier (which will be remaining at the pier). Details of the new location have not been made public yet, although the restaurant’s recent Facebook posts indicate the general feel and configuration of the new location, which has been formally secured. All pre-existing bookings will not be affected by the future relocation.
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Penarth Pier – Angling Club Evicted – And a Music Festival
The timber hut at the head of Penarth Pier has been used by the Penarth Sea Angling Association since 1984. Vale of Glamorgan Council have now used Emergency Powers to evict the association from the premises, providing 28 days notice to terminate the licence for the occupying of the hut. The intentions from the council which justify this drastic action are frustratingly vague, and it seems that it will only be after the eviction is complete that they will formally explore options and expressions of interest in a future use for the hut. There is an expectation that the hut will inevitably be used as a café kiosk or for other “concession opportunities”, which the pier already possesses. The Council will be discussing alternative provisions for the angling club, but it was probably the case that their existing hut was the most ideal location by quite a margin.
In more wonderful news, the Penarth Chamber Music Festival 2025 will commence on the 19th June. This has been running for just over 10 years and is generally based in Penarth Pier Pavilion. A mixture of classic and contemporary instrumental music has been programmed: what better thing is there than hearing Messiaen and Boulez in a pier pavilion? A truly commendable undertaking which is surely more imaginative than the verbal outpourings of Katie Hopkins and Joey Blower (only in my opinion, of course!).
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Chamber Music Festival
Southport Pier – Potential Government Funding for Restoration
As yet, Sefton Council have had little luck in gathering funding towards the c.£13 million restoration project at Southport Pier. Local politicians, especially Southport MP Patrick Hurley, have vigorously campaigned for the importance of the project, and now the Chancellor of the current Labour Government, Rachel Reeves, has announced a new Growth Mission Fund to boost projects such as this across the country. Release of further information and the project selection process will take place later in the summer, and collectively the fund is expected to contribute £240 million until 2030. From the above, it might be assumed that the future or even the funding for the pier is by no means secured yet, but that Reeves specifically mentioned Southport Pier as a key case for the fund during Wednesday’s Parliament session, should be seen as an encouraging indication to the future course of things. Whether the Government will be prepared to fund 100% of the project value, and when the funds will be delivered, remains to be seen.
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Weston-Super-Mare Birnbeck Pier – A Brief Update From the Leader of the Council
The last formal update on the Birnbeck Pier project, given on North Somerset Council’s website, was given in January 2025 and related to the tender process for the structural restoration work. The preliminary stabilisation works to the island buildings and cliff face, scheduled from Autumn to Winter 2024, are now completed. However, the next phase for the repair and renovation of the landside buildings does not appear to have been started, despite being scheduled for Spring 2025. The most recent update, shared mostly via social media, does not address the schedule for the project but rather explains why such a complex project takes so long and requires so much funding: more a rebuke to the mis-informed “nay-sayers” who proliferate social media. It is also notable that several of the Council’s planning applications for the project have not yet received planning approval, with three separate applications (each with their corresponding Listed Building Consent application) still pending consideration: 24/P/1907/FUL (pier deck reconstruction); 24/P/2010/FUL (lifeboat station) and 24/P/2439/R3 (island pavilion, boathouse café, “Pier View” internal alterations). In each, the last correspondence took place in January or February, and the statutory decision deadlines are now long passed. The applications should still be active and valid, however, and it might be that the Council have strategically delayed the issuing of the decisions such that they have more time to prepare for the works before the permissions expire after three years (just a speculation). Permission for the current building phase, for the avoidance of doubt, has already been granted and hopefully works will start imminently.
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Brighton Palace Pier – The End of the Pier Show
In a striking development, a new variety show in the manner of “the End of the Pier Show” is to be revived at Brighton Palace Pier. Such shows have probably not been a fixture on the pier since 1973, when the pier theatre was disfigured in a storm and was never the same again (later being shamelessly scrapped in 1986, despite promises of dismantling and reconstruction at a later date). The new show will be held in Horatio’s Bar and will be led by Allison Ferns (of the BBC) and Jack Pallister. Auditions for additional performers will be held on the 1st July, and together the group will be known as the Palace Pier Performers. The attached article includes discussions from the two performers and from Brighton Palace Pier CEO Anne Ackford, and all three seem very excited and enthusiastic about this new fixture on the pier. Next? Perhaps convert the “Triodome” into a theatre or circus!
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Gravesend Town Pier – Summer Events
A much-needed schedule of public events around the pier has been announced, organised by a partnership between Gravesend Borough Council and “Uber Boats by Thames Clippers”. This coincides with the Estuary Festival and the landing of Nao Santa Maria (the replica 15th Century ship), and will hopefully give the pier a more meaningful public function. There will also be photography exhibitions, postcards for sale and traditional entertainment.
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Great Yarmouth Britannia Pier – Grand Reopening
The context behind this news is in my report of the AGM at Great Yarmouth, shown below.
The Mayor of Great Yarmouth opened the newly-refurbished entrance buildings and family entertainment centre at the Britannia Pier, concluding the first schedule of improvements planned at the pier. The second link is to an “in pictures” article from the BBC, although its factual information for the pier is somewhat uncertain in its accuracy.
Sadly it was not possible for the NPS to attend the formal re-opening ceremony in full, although we met the owners for a tour of the works earlier in the day.
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Read More (BBC)
Lowestoft Claremont Pier – New Golf Simulator
Again, more information below.
In addition to the amusements, bars and seaward deck, the owners of Claremont Pier have recently invested in a new indoor golf simulator. This will naturally enhance the pier’s out-of-season offerings, and will be opened in September. The choice of a golf simulator was determined from a public poll, set up on the owners’ Facebook page.
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Clevedon Pier and Waverley – A Short Film
The North Somerset Times has promoted a new documentary covering one of Waverley’s recent sailings from Clevedon Pier. It would be a stretch to call it a “film”, since a documentary feature film such as “Grandad and the Pier” might come to mind. Rather, it is a 6-minute Youtube video. It will offer quite satisfying viewing all the same, offering an overview on what might be encountered during the course of the sailing. A video link is provided at the end of the article
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Weston Birnbeck Pier – RNLI Pulls Out Of Birnbeck Project
30 minutes before this newsletter was published, the following news was released by North Somerset council regarding the Birnbeck Pier restoration project.
The collaboration between North Somerset Council and the RNLI has been abruptly broken and the previously agreed £5 million RNLI funding will no longer be available. A suitable contractor had been identified following the tender process and was to be appointed on 8th July, but this has now been postponed indefinitely. The leader of the Council, in his statement, is greatly disappointed at the decision and criticised the RNLI for their “abdication of responsibility to our community”. As more is revealed in the coming days, a justification from the RNLI for this decision might be provided. They had previously distanced themselves from the original joint employment arrangement for future phases of the project, but had agreed to follow through with their £5 million funding offer and the development of the lifeboat station(see link here). Now, it seems that all ties are cut.
This is an extremely critical situation given the very precarious balance previously made between the project cost and pre-agreed funding. The Council had previously been highly anxious to ensure that project costs should not spiral since this would endanger the viability of the project. The project has always been funded solely by external lottery/government funding and not from the Council’s own reserves. For now, the construction phase for the restoration of the pier structure will be indefinitely delayed. The statement notes that the other construction phases should not be impacted by this decision, and work to the landside building will begin next month, but without the pier structure restored, there will be no pier.
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Swanage Pier – A Centre for Diving and Underwater Photography
A detailed and informative article on Swanage’s pioneering history in diving, boasting one of the country’s first diving schools. The pier is a particularly important feature in the town’s diving culture, acting as an effective habitat for marine life – this is abundantly demonstrated in the excellent underwater photography on the page.
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Southport Pier – Yoga on the Pier (forecourt)
A successful event of yoga was organised partly by the Silcocks (owners of the amusement and cafe buildings around the pier forecourt, and allies of the pier restoration) and was held on the shoreward section of the pier. Only the section running parallel with the Silcock amusements remains open to the public, but this provided a sufficient area for some community gatherings to be organised. The event was a good way to emphasise the public interest in re-opening the pier in full.
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Brighton Palace Pier – Delivery of a New Ride
The pier has announced the delivery of a new amusement ride, although the precise nature of it is not yet revealed. The most interesting thing about this circumstance is the logistics involved in the delivery process. Carried along the deck on a heavy-duty trailer, it was necessary for part of the roof canopy of the entrance building to be lifted away by a telescopic loader to provide sufficient clearance.
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A Seaside Pier at the Glastonbury Festival
The “Glastonbury-on-Sea” Pier was originally conceived by artist Joe Rush and first installed at Glastonbury in 2019. It has since reappeared at the festival several times, including this year, and is a very impressive pastiche of a Victorian seaside pier set in the mid-20th Century. This alone is a compelling attraction to a festival which may still not be to everyone’s tastes. Despite this, the high admission costs and… everything else about the festival… will mean that this is a “pier” which I myself will never see in person. However, any member or newsletter recipient who happens to be attending the festival is welcome to offer photographs or a visitor’s account of the pier, if they wish!
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Weston-Super-Mare Birnbeck Pier – Donations to the RNLI
Two local Masonic lodges have together donated over £4000 towards the RNLI’s new lifeboat station on Birnbeck Pier. This will also include the installation of a community defibrillator.
(Edit: In view of the above announcement, it is to be hoped the masonic lodges get their money back.)
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Clacton – Good Holiday Trade in Recent Good Weather
An article giving an overview of the recent successful trade in the town, following several weeks of good weather. Nigel Brown, of Clacton Pier, said this: “It had the feel of the good old days with the large influx of visitors to the area and on the beaches. Long may it continue”
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