£50k grant boost for St Annes' Victorian pier

The money is coming from the £1m Coastal Revival Fund, which supports the restoration of historic buildings and coastal assets.

It will bring a host of improvements to the historic attraction in time for the start of the new tourist season.

The bid, put forward by Fylde Council and the St Annes Pier Company, supported by St Annes Enterprise Partnership, will go towards five specific aspects to be completed by the end of March. They include four Victorian light columns along the open deck of the pier, in tribute to the structure’s 19th century origins.

The cash will also help to convert one of the pier’s historic pavilions into an extension of the Deckhouse Café, enhance the forecourt with new paving, restore the pier’s structural steelwork and fund a feasibility study looking at the creation of an exhibition about the history of the pier and St Annes.

The pier has been welcoming visitors since 1885 and was designated a Grade II-listed building in 1973.

Paul Drinnan (pictured inset), Fylde Council’s regeneration and design manager, said: “We are delighted with the award of this grant.

“The trustees of the pier invest significant sums of money to keep the pier in a good state of repair, much of which goes unnoticed since it relates to the structure of the pier.”

A St Annes Pier Company spokesman said: “This grant will help ensure the Pier is here for more generations to enjoy in the years to come.”