Birnbeck Pier wood to be recycled and turned into furniture
The council has teamed up with Somerset Wood Recycling for a sustainable restoration project
As part of the project to restore Birnbeck Pier, North Somerset Council has signed an agreement to give a new lease of life to wood salvaged from the Grade II* Listed pier.
In collaboration with Somerset Wood Recycling, the initiative seeks to salvage timber and repurpose the wood that cannot be used in restoring the pier itself.
Wood recovered will be crafted into items for sale at a new shop in the Pier Master's Cottage, and proceeds will contribute to the ongoing maintenance of the pier.
Somerset Wood Recycling, a Community Interest Company focused on community benefit, will transform salvaged timber from across Somerset into handmade furniture, while providing training and employment opportunities for people distant from the labour market.
The project also includes six-month woodworking placements for four trainees, two of whom will be youths participating through the council’s Youth Justice Service.
Tom Palmer, Director of Somerset Wood Recycling, expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration, saying, “We're excited to be working with North Somerset Council, and their appointed contractor Mackley, on the Birnbeck Pier project. We're looking forward to finding a new purpose for timber reclaimed from the pier; creating employment and training opportunities for local people while making a little bit of Weston's heritage available for people to own.”
North Somerset Council’s Cabinet Member responsible for the Birnbeck Project, Councillor Mark Canniford, highlighted the community benefits of the partnership: “This partnership forms part of our comprehensive community engagement plan for the project, which has been made possible thanks to funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
"Not only does this enable us to repurpose the wood from our much-loved ‘old pier’, by working with Somerset Wood Recycling we’re able to get the community involved with the process too. On top of that, the money raised will go towards maintaining the pier after our restoration project has finished. It’s a win-win all around!”
In addition to timber, metalwork such as seatbacks and lampposts is being recovered and tested, with plans to clean and reuse viable materials while sympathetically replacing any lost or damaged pieces.
For more information about the Birnbeck Pier project, residents can visit the Birnbeck Regeneration Trust’s information hub near the pier or the council’s website.