Pier Storm Damage and Decline

1960s-1990s

Bognor Pier suffered repeated storm damage during the second half of the twentieth century, losing sections to heavy seas and eventually being reduced to a truncated stump near the shore. A major storm in 1964 destroyed the seaward end of the pier, taking the pavilion and the outer deck with it, and further damage in subsequent decades shortened it further. Repairs were carried out from time to time, but each storm took more than the maintenance budgets could restore. By the 1990s, only a short section near the shore remained, and even this was closed to the public on safety grounds. The decline of the pier mirrored the wider decline of many English seaside resorts in the post-war decades, as cheap foreign package holidays drew visitors away from the domestic coast and the infrastructure of traditional resorts deteriorated. Repeated proposals to rebuild or restore the pier were advanced over the years by councils, community groups, and private developers, but none secured the funding or planning approvals needed to proceed. The pier stumps remain visible at low tide, a reminder of the structure that was once the centrepiece of the resort. The loss of the pier was a blow to the town's identity and its visitor economy, removing the single most iconic feature of a traditional English seaside town. Various campaigns have continued to advocate for a new pier or pier-related development, but the stumps remain as they are.