A COURT hearing lodged against a council to purchase Birnbeck Pier has been deferred.
In 2020, the pier's private owner CNM Estates sought to appeal a compulsory purchase order (CPO) brought by North Somerset Council after the authority argued 'no substantive work' took place to protect the grade-II listed structure.
An initial stay - or halt in proceedings - was placed by CNM Estates who had owned the site for almost a decade.
But CNM chairman Wahid Samady - who sold the pier back to himself under a different company name of Birnbeck Holdings Ltd early last year - argued that future work is to still take place to restore the pier.
The council served the CPO to save the structure from future decay.
It is then hoped the council will transfer the site to the RNLI so that it can return to its life-saving operations there.
The 155-year-old structure was put on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register in 1999 following significant dilapidation.
Last week (October 28), the pier's private owner also declined an offer from North Somerset Council to purchase the site for £480,000.
READ MORE: Birnbeck Pier to benefit from National Lottery funding
Birnbeck is the only pier in the UK to link an island with the mainland and was opened in 1867.
At a preliminary hearing in North Somerset Magistrates' Court last year, and all those thereafter, the council argued that a stay on proceedings is no longer justified as the current owner has not undertaken any repairs on the pier either before or since the CPO was served.
Since CNM Estates no longer has a legal interest in the site - following a transfer of ownership to Birnbeck Holdings Ltd - the case should be dismissed, it continued.
A hearing was due to take place next week on November 11, but its postponement has prompted fears that a lengthy court battle may ensue for ownership of the treasured site.
It is not yet clear what caused the delay.
READ MORE: Birnbeck Pier to benefit from £3.5m government funding
Recently, it was confirmed the National Heritage Memorial Fund would grant £3.55million to help fund phase one of the restoration. This includes returning access to the pier and repairing its famous boardwalk.
Further such National Lottery funding was announced earlier this week where a £234,761 development grant will be used for phase two of the regeneration to restore four grade-II structures and buildings located on the island and the landward end of the site.
READ MORE: CNM Estates purchase Birnbeck Pier with new company
These funding packages are subject to a transfer of ownership from its private holder to North Somerset Council.
CNM Estates was approached for comment.
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