THE RNLI has submitted Planning and Listed Building Consent Applications to North Somerset Council for the repair and restoration of the Grade II Listed Birnbeck Pier in Weston-super-Mare.

Permission is being sought by Studio Four Architects, the RNLI’s appointed architect.

If granted, the repair and restoration of the pier will restore public access to the island and allow the RNLI to pursue its ambition to re-establish lifesaving operations from Birnbeck, which is the safest and most effective location from which to launch the lifeboats at all states of tide.

Since the unsafe state of the pier forced the RNLI off Birnbeck Island in 2014, the volunteer lifeboat crew have operated from temporary storage containers on the plaza next to Marine Lake.

Despite the assessment of numerous alternative sites in and around Weston-super-Mare, Birnbeck Island remains the most suitable for lifeboat operations because it allows access to water at almost all states of tide due to its geography and geology.

The RNLI is in the process of submitting a separate but concurrent Planning and Listed Building Consent Application for a proposed new lifeboat station which should be made public early next month.

Andy Wright, RNLI area operations manager for Weston-super-Mare, said: “It’s great, after months of hard work, by many people behind the scenes, to have finally reached the stage of applying for planning permission for this stage of the project.

“The repair of Birnbeck Pier is integral to restoring public access to Birnbeck Island, and for the RNLI this is a critical step towards realising its ambition to re-establish lifesaving operations from Birnbeck.”

Councillor Mark Canniford, North Somerset Council's executive member responsible for the Birnbeck Pier project, said: “I’m delighted to see the RNLI submitting these proposals for planning approval.

“Not only does it represent that we’ve reached another important milestone in the project timeline, it also demonstrates that the RNLI and North Somerset Council are working closely together to achieve shared objectives.

“I look forward to seeing the submission of the RNLI’s next planning application - for the new lifeboat station on the island.

“Once all the applications have been determined we can continue to jointly drive forward with our work at pace.”

The whole project – to restore Birnbeck Pier and Island – has been made possible thanks to funding from the RNLI, UK government (formerly called the Levelling Up Fund), National Heritage Memorial Fund, The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England.

To find out more about the Birnbeck Pier project, visit the information hub next to the pier or the council’s website at www.n-somerset.gov.uk/birnbeckpierproject.

Required site investigations and surveys mean people might have seen contractors and people in safety clothing on the island, however, for safety reasons it is essential that these visits are done in a carefully managed and coordinated way.

It is an extremely dangerous site, and members of the public should keep away.

Birnbeck Pier was closed to the public in 1994 due to safety concerns and has continued to deteriorate.

People are urged not to attempt to walk out to the island at low tide or to cross the pier.