Pier we go Dramatic lottery boost rescues project to save landmark

AN “eleventh hour” lottery win has saved the project to restore Weston-super-Mare’s iconic Birnbeck Pier.

- John WIMPERIS

North Somerset Council had met on Tuesday evening to officially cancel the project, which had been left with a critical £5.5 million funding gap after the RNLI pulled out over viability concerns in June.

But in a dramatic council chamber twist, councillors were instead told that the National Lottery Heritage Fund had stepped in to plug the funding gap. Council leader Mike Bell said: “We had a setback earlier in the summer, but we promised to work right up until the eleventh hour to try to find a solution, and I am delighted our efforts have paid off.

“We are incredibly grateful to The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Put simply, this lifeline has saved the day. Without it, the future of Birnbeck Pier would have been in real danger.”

The National Lottery Heritage Fund had already put £10 million into the project, with the new funding bringing its total contribution to the scheme to £15,544,799. The organisation's chief executive Eilish McGuinness said: “The additional grant reflects our commitment to saving heritage at risk and investing in the communities it belongs to.