Burnham-On-Sea town councillors have this week unanimously backed plans to get the town’s 150 year-old jetty reclassified as a listed building.
At their meeting on Monday (August 6th), councillors gave their backing to a proposal from Burnham’s Deputy Mayor, Cllr Neville Jones, to push forward on getting protected status for the ailing jetty, which was damaged during storms earlier this year.
“We all know the importance of this wonderful jetty,” he told councillors. “It’s a great attraction to visitors and of historical significance given its railway background.”
“I recently looked at it up close and was very sad to see it being neglected, with the rivets alongside it rusting away and falling apart.”
“Gaining listed status would mean those who are responsible for it will be held to account and will have to do the job of properly looking after it.”
Town councillors gave unanimous backing to Cllr Jones’ proposal to consult the Department of State for Culture, Media and Sport, which oversees decisions on which buildings are listed, to enquire about how to gain listed status.
The vote came after Burnham-On-Sea.com was first to report last month how Cllr Jones had persuaded district councillors to include the jetty within the town’s new Conservation Area.
In June, the jetty was controversially excluded from Burnham’s enlarged Conservation Area because officials said it could not be classified as a building.
In January, winter storms had severely damaged the jetty’s structure and led to it being completely closed, then partially re-opened for the summer season.
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Burnham-On-Sea jetty removed from conservation plans
