THE reality of creating new visitor facilities at Clevedon Pier has taken a giant step forward after a whopping £500,000 was given to the scheme.

The Victorian seafront attraction is one of 20 projects to be awarded money from the Government’s Coastal Communities Fund, which this year has seen £16million given out to projects which will create jobs and business opportunities in seaside areas.

Together with the £720,000 already secured from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the grant will enable a new visitor and education centre to be built at the land end of the pier.

The project is expected to cost just more than £2million and will also see the existing tollhouse and sea-end pergoda refurbished and changes made to the Heritage Centre along the road.

The cost will also include employing new staff members to coordinate volunteers and an educational programme.

Clevedon Pier and Heritage Trust chairman Simon Talbot-Ponsonby said: “With the Heritage Lottery Grant awarded in December we now have over two thirds of the funding in place.

“We will make a final push to raise the last remaining funds needed so that we do not lose these grants.

“The exciting modern design, by our architects O’Leary Goss, has already got planning permission and listed building consent with the enthusiastic support of English Heritage and we are confident that building work will be able to start on site later this year.“