West Pier revamp approved

A fire in March left just a metal skeleton at the pier's pavilion end

English Heritage has given its approval for a multi-million pound refurbishment of Brighton's West Pier.

The decision, which was announced on Thursday, is a massive boost to the West Pier Trust, which is fighting to restore the historic landmark.

The structure suffered two major fires this year and was battered by storms.

English Nature said the pier was still important in terms of engineering design and architectural ambition.

'An enduring symbol'

A report by English Heritage said the pier was an "enduring symbol of Brighton".

After the fires in March and May, campaigners vowed to continue with plans to refurbish the pier, which had been given planning permission by Brighton council.

After the fire, the council asked English Heritage for its advice on whether the scheme should go ahead and on Thursday the project was given a green light.

The pier closed down in 1975 and there have been numerous campaigns to rebuild it since then.

The Heritage Lottery Fund has still to consider the £44m refurbishment plan at a meeting in January.

It is expected that work will not start until 2005 and could take two years to complete.