Weston-Super-Mare Birnbeck Pier – RNLI Statement
Following last Friday’s explosive revelation regarding the Birnbeck Project, the all-important RNLI statement was shortly released. The decision to cut all ties and funding is certainly drastic and severe, but it seems to have been derived from an overriding concern over the management and funding of the project on the Council’s part. As a charity concerned primarily with saving lives at sea, funded by donations, it must have been felt that the Birnbeck project did not represent a responsible deployment of RNLI funds. Why reservations were not made at an earlier stage remains a puzzling question.
Meanwhile, RNLI operations in Weston continue to be based in the temporary facilities at the Marine Lake, whose unsuitability was often held as an encouragement to commence restoration of Birnbeck Pier.
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Brighton West Pier – Stupid Men on the Pier
Two men were taken to hospital with cuts and dislocated shoulders, having received lashings from the venerable old lady, the West Pier. Were these merely stupid men, idly aspiring to treat this abundantly hazardous structure as a climbing frame, or were they enthusiastic pier historians, wishing to relive the experience of walking through the Pavilion’s North colonnade? The Shoreham and Newhaven Coastguard, in addition to Brighton RNLI and the local ambulance service all rushed out to these men “in trouble at sea”. Hopefully they will now be in trouble with the Police!
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Bournemouth Pier – Summer Events
From the end of July until the start of September, Bournemouth Pier will be busy with regular music performances and the pier’s principal attractions will be operational everyday during this peak period.
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Cromer Pier – Summer Events
From the end of July until the start of September, Cromer Pier will be hosting Sunset Sessions every Friday from 7PM. “Ibiza Anthems”, apparently: quite a departure from the Pier Orchestra of earlier days! There are also slightly less frenetic alternatives held every Sunday.
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Brighton Palace Pier and Brighton – The Brighton & Hove Tourism Alliance Showcase
The “Brighton & Hove Tourism Alliance and Bite Sussex Summer Showcase” (long name, of course) was advertised in this article to be held in Horatio’s Bar on the Palace Pier on Monday. The article gives an account of what could be expected, provided by BHTA chair Anne Ackford (and CEO of the Brighton Palace Pier Group). It seems to be a very active and forceful alliance in improving the area’s prospects in the tourism trade, claiming to be filling the voids in tourism services abandoned by the local councils.
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Weston-Super-Mare Birnbeck Pier – An Assurance from the Council
The leader of North Somerset Council has insisted that recent events regarding the RNLI’s withdrawal from the project will not lead to the end of the Birnbeck Project. Council members are presently exploring alternative funding options and, as those at Southport have found, alternative funding options can appear unexpectedly when the need arises. Work at the land side will be commencing in the next few weeks and to have working buildings at the shoreward end will certainly be a positive start whatever happens in the long-term.
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Deal Pier – Structural Repair Funding Agreed
Dover District Council has agreed to fund £1 million on the repairs to a number of the pier’s structural columns, which have suffered concrete loss and the exposure of steel reinforcements. Undecided as yet is whether the Council will invest further in a scheme of Cathodic Protection, which will reduce the rate of ongoing corrosion by a modest degree.
See also the technical report in the second link: It was prepared by HOP Civil and Structural engineers earlier this year and is, like the best reports, extraordinarily long! But I implore you to scroll down to the bottom and see the archive drawings in Appendix B. Contained within are Sir William Halcrow’s original working drawings dating to 1955, detailed repair drawings over the following decades, but also a preliminary pier proposal drawing dating as early as 1949.
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Structural Report
Southend Pier – Disappointment
The Nao Santa Maria ship has been forced to depart from Southend Pier ahead of schedule, due to unsuitable weather conditions. It departed on Saturday morning, having been at the pier since the previous Tuesday.
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Bournemouth Pier – Disappointment
British Heart Foundation’s Bournemouth Pier to Pier Swim for 5th July was cancelled due to unsuitable weather. All 2025 participants have been automatically transferred to the 2026 register.
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Morecambe – The Old Pier Bookshop
A fairly stimulating article about Morecambe’s best bookshop, situated opposite the former site of the Central Pier. First opened in 1990, the true association between the two only lasted two years before becoming a historical association. It will certainly lift one’s spirits after they have found that Morecambe no longer possesses any seaside piers anymore. (Image: me pointing at the Old Pier Bookshop)
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Weston-Super-Mare Birnbeck Pier – Phase 2 Works Commence
North Somerset Council have confirmed that the next phase of the Birnbeck Project has commenced this week. This relates to the restoration of the landward buildings, the preparation of new services to facilitate the wider development, and repairs to the sea wall. This phase was Government-funded and was not impacted by the withdrawal of the RNLI from the project. Previously it would have been possible to track progress in this part of the site using the Birnbeck Regeneration Trust’s static webcam, but user access is restricted now – perhaps as a security condition as part of the construction contract?
Also recently provided is an impassioned letter from local MP Dan Aldridge, insisting that the wide benefits of the project stretch much further than merely sparing an archaic marine structure. It is rightly seen as an investment for the town.
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Southport Pier – The Way Forward for the Council
The leader of Sefton Council has given further assurances regarding the restoration of Southport Pier, following the hints at potential funding given by the Government in previous months. This funding is by no means secured, and the fleeting statement “we need to see the details for this” is perhaps something of an understatement. But if all goes well and the Government are kind enough to fund most or all of the project costs, then the Council have insisted that they will be in a position to start physical works within 6-8 weeks. This is due to them previously having the foresight to prepare a full construction plan in partnership with their consulting engineers, and all approved at planning-level. Contractors have been appointed, so hopefully the start of the sprint race towards restoration will be very spectacular indeed. The restoration overall is expected to take slightly over a year to complete… Perhaps we can expect Spring 2027 for the grand opening?
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Historic England – An Appeal for Seaside Photographs and Memories
Historic England manage the country’s statutory list of historic buildings for planning and development purposes (i.e. “listed buildings”), whilst also holding an extensive photographic archive of the country’s historic architecture. It is now encouraging members of the public to contribute their own photographs and information to a selection of their listed buildings which best represent the British seaside. This selection is available on the linked website (map view), with information on how to make contributions. Seaside piers form a substantial part of this selection, of course, but only those which are listed. An abundant range of other seaside architecture is also available for public contributions to be made.
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Historic England Website
Blackpool North Pier for Sale
The North Pier has been owned by the Sedgwick family since 2011, followed by the Central and South Piers since 2015. It has now been placed for sale by agents Avison Young, with no fixed guide price. It certainly forms an exciting opportunity to own possibly the country’s most historically interesting surviving seaside pier, but until a suitable buyer is secured, the pier’s future remains uncertain.
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Eastbourne Pier – Decking Damage
A member of the public reported recent damage to part of the pier decking to the local Coastguard, who promptly cordoned off the affected areas and then the pier was closed by the owner, Sheikh Abid Gulzar, for repairs to take place. This work, according to Gulzar, is now complete. The decking in question was the stretch of precast concrete panels, at least 40 years old, spanning from the front of the Victorian Tea Rooms towards the seaward Pavilion. The damage, inflicted in numerous places and in numerous ways, indicates that this decking may well be approaching life-expiry and would probably need replacing in full. As things stand, it would seem that the emergency repairs have been completed and the pier reopened (although no photographs are yet available to show the nature of the repairs). (Image: Eastbourne Coastguard)
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Weston Grand Pier – Dogs Now Allowed Permanently
Following the trial period, in recent months, for dogs on the pier, dogs are now officially allowed on the pier on a permanent basis. The same guidelines apply to those during the trial, and offered are water stations and complimentary dog biscuits.
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Fleetwood Pier – Memories and Photographs of the 2008 Fire
A short recollection from a reporter who had to witness the fire on the television in a foreign country. More interesting are the archive photographs which follow, which include images of varying quality of the fire itself, the surviving remains, and then the demolition work. (Image: Linda Owen)
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Weston-Super-Mare Birnbeck Pier – Car Park to Remain Open in Short Term
Restoration works to the land side of the pier were apparently started on the 14th July, but North Norfolk Council have now made a slight alteration to their site requirements by allowing the seafront car park to remain open to the public. It was originally scheduled to close when work started, but now it will only be closed for short period when wholly necessary. It will likely close in several weeks time.
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Cromer Pier – Donation Stations Installed
Following a trial period, two donation stations have been affixed to the pier to facilitate fundraising for the estimated £400,000 annual maintenance costs. The Council assures that funds from these stations will be strictly ringfenced for this purpose.
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Helensburgh Pier – New Member of the Pier Company Board
A helpful update on the administration process towards the restoration of Helensburgh Pier, with a new Technical Manager being appointed.
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Much to report of Clacton
Clacton Pier has recently been placed highly in tripadvisor’s “Traveller’s Choice Awards” – Amusements and Waterparks Category. With entries from all over Europe, Clacton Pier has been placed 11th in this list, with only five UK entries in the top 25.
The new “Visit Clacton” website has been launched, created by the Clacton Coastal Tourism Group (Billy Ball of the Pier is Chairman). Tourist information websites for local seaside resorts are always very useful resources for the visitor and this new page for Clacton should be an effective aid for the Clacton tourist. For now, its infancy is evident in that the majority of the “things to do” and “food & drink” are things on Clacton Pier. It will naturally take some time for the website to be fully populated.
Clacton Pier management have recently installed a set of new benches across the pier deck and have invited people to make applications for installing dedication/celebration plaques on them. This is something which has been regularly requested for quite some time. The linked webpage gives detailed information on the terms of these plaque placements, including 10 years of maintenance and care. The benches themselves look most satisfactory – cast metal in a traditional style, and used as another opportunity to voice the pier’s “No.1 North Sea” postal party trick!
Tripadvisor Awards
Visit Clacton (News)
Visit Clacton (Webpage)
Benches