Plans to transform one of Great Yarmouth's best-loved seaside attractions into a year-round entertainment hub will come before the council next week.

The owners of the Britannia Pier want to regenerate the venue - and their proposals will be discussed by members of Great Yarmouth Borough Council's development management committee on Wednesday, May 22.

The pier was taken over in 2022 by Joseph Abbott and Joseph Manning, from Triangle Amusements, who pledged to "waste no time" in trying to bring the facility back to its former glory.

Their latest plans would see the redevelopment of the front of the pier with two art deco towers - similar to those at the nearby Wellington Pier - and an indoor space connecting the Pier Tavern with the recently refurbished arcade.

Eastern Daily Press: Britannia Pier's owners Joseph Manning and Joseph Abbott.Britannia Pier's owners Joseph Manning and Joseph Abbott. (Image: James Weeds)

Plans also include more access to the beach and promenade, the removal of an existing single-storey amusements building and erection of a new enlarged curved roof building.

The bid also contains a change of use of the Sea Chef restaurant into an amusement arcade and a relocation of a food outlet further east of the existing amusement arcade.

In a report prepared ahead of the meeting, planners are recommending that councillors approve the application. 

Eastern Daily Press: The design for the new frontage at Britannia Pier.The design for the new frontage at Britannia Pier. (Image: Paul Robinson Partnership)

There have been no objections to the plans. 

Another part of the owners' vision for the venue - not part of the current application - would see the pier lose its existing advertising billboards and be replaced with a digital screen and raised letter signage.

READ MORE: Old photos of Great Yarmouth seafront in the 1950s

Eastern Daily Press: The pier's existing frontage (pictured in 1967) has been in place since the mid-1900s.The pier's existing frontage (pictured in 1967) has been in place since the mid-1900s. (Image: Newsquest Archive)

Pier-ing into the past: a brief history of the Brit

The Britannia Pier has been a mainstay on the Golden Mile since 1858. Originally, the venue boasted a 700-foot pier. However, following a collision with a ship during the Royal Charter Storm in 1859, it was shortened.

The original pier suffered further storm damage in 1868 and was demolished in 1899.

Construction of a new 810-foot Britannia Pier began in 1900 with designs by Joseph and Arthur Mayoh.

Many changes took place at the pier following a series of fires in 1909, 1914 and in 1954.

The main auditorium was built during inter-war period and later commissioned for the war effort.

The current pavilion - known as the Britannia Pier Theatre - has been standing since 1958.

The theatre has hosted some of the UK's biggest acts, including Russ Abbott, Jim Davidson and Jimmy Carr.

Since purchasing the pier from Family Amusements in December 2022, owners Joseph Abbott and Joseph Manning have added new rides to the end-of-pier theme park, revamped the arcades and installed traditional lighting along the deck.