Four of Birnbeck Pier's 16 replacement deck spans are now in, and the first people have walked on them. The council says it is on track and on budget for 2027.
People have walked on Birnbeck Pier again. On Monday 28 September a small group stood on the new deck after the fourth of its 16 replacement spans was lifted into place. That means a quarter of the deck between Weston-super-Mare and Birnbeck Island is now rebuilt.
The pier has been closed to the public since 1994. North Somerset Council still says it will reopen in summer 2027.
The details come from the council’s announcement of 28 September.
What has been done
The new span was lifted by a 160-tonne crane working from a 400-tonne jack-up barge moored beside the pier. The group that took the first steps included funders, contractors and council representatives.
The council’s figures:
- 16 deck spans connect Birnbeck Island to the mainland
- 4 are now in place, a quarter of the replacement deck
- span 13 was the one lifted in on Monday; the numbering starts at the island end, where span 1 joins the island to the pier
- the remaining spans will be installed “over the coming months”
The pier’s legs, which the council also calls towers, are structurally sound. Any repairs they need are being done in place as the contractor works along the pier.
What they said
Councillor Mark Canniford, the cabinet member responsible for the project, said it remained “on track in terms of progress and budget”. He thanked the volunteers and residents who campaigned to save the pier.
Council leader Councillor Mike Bell said the four new sections “stretching out towards the island” showed “real progress”. He added that there was “still much work to do”.
Two of the funders spoke too. Taryn Nixon, a trustee of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, called the milestone “a powerful reminder of how far this remarkable project has come”. Rebecca Barrett, Historic England’s South West regional director, called the pier a “Grade II* Listed seaside gem”.
Why this matters
Birnbeck opened in 1867 and is the only pier in the country that links the mainland to an island. It has been on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register since 1998. The council bought it in July 2023, after starting compulsory purchase proceedings in 2019.
More than £44m has been secured for the restoration. We set out where the money came from and the full programme in August. The marine contractor Mackley is restoring the pier structure, and Smith and Brenson is working on the landside buildings.
What it means for you
- The pier is still closed. It is an active construction site and there is no public access to the deck or the island.
- Summer 2027 is a target, not an opening date. The council has not announced a day, a ticketing plan or who will run the site.
- For updates, the council keeps a Birnbeck Pier project page.
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