Birnbeck Pier could be bought by North Somerset Council

There are fresh hopes that a decaying Victorian pier can be saved.

North Somerset Council said it was considering buying Birnbeck Pier in Weston-super-Mare.

A campaign to save the dilapidated Grade II* listed structure has been supported by actors John Cleese and Timothy West

The council ordered the pier's owners to start repairs last year but said it had not seen any evidence of work being done.

The 153-year-old pier was closed to the public in 1994 over safety concerns and in 2016 part of it collapsed into the Bristol Channel

In September 2019 North Somerset Council served a repairs notice to owner CNM Estates, ordering it to carry out work to stop the structure decaying further.

But in a statement released on Tuesday, the council said it had not seen any proof of repairs being carried out and was ready to use its powers to buy the pier.

Council leader Don Davies said: "We have given the pier's owner the opportunity to take reasonable steps to preserve it.

"This has not happened, so we are now looking at all options.

"We shall continue to work with Historic England exploring options for securing the repair and preservation of the pier, including the potential for a Compulsory Purchase Order."

Historic England has set aside a grant of £127,000 which the council can use if decides to buy the structure.

Birnbeck Pier, along with piers at Bournemouth, Margate and Hastings, was designed by Victorian architect Eugenius Birch.

North Somerset Council's executive will debate buying the pier on 5 February.