North Somerset Council officers have recommended councillors vote to conclude plans for the restoration of Birnbeck Pier, after the withdrawal of the RNLI left the project with a £5m funding shortfall. 

A report prepared for the council’s consideration on 16 September stated the current project “cannot go forward” without the backing of the lifeboat operator, despite support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. 

“It is with genuine regret and disappointment that this report recommends to council the effective closure of the current Birnbeck Pier restoration project,” states the report. “This pier is a loved landmark, not just locally but nationally and internationally. Our social media posts have generated positive responses and happy memories from all across the world.”

“Its restoration would bring people together in celebration of our past and future, enhancing pride in where we live and what we can achieve here. This current project cannot go forward, but our ambition for the pier remains. We will continue looking for solutions and hope that at some point in the future an answer will be found.”

The RNLI had served as a major partner in the proposal to restore Birnbeck Pier, having been forced to abandon a lifeboat station on the landmark in 2013 after 131-years.