The RSPB has launched a new fundraising appeal to build a spectacular new wildlife viewing gallery at RSPB Bempton Cliffs on the East Yorkshire coast.
The “Make A Grandstand for Nature” appeal aims to raise £85,000 towards replacing the existing “Grandstand” viewpoint, which must be replaced due to cliff-top erosion and increasingly wet winters. Conditional planning approval for the project has already been granted by East Riding of Yorkshire Council.
Design and engineering firm structureHaus has been appointed to create detailed designs for the cantilevered platform, which will feature hidden piled foundations and reinforced concrete ground beams. This engineering setup will allow the structure to withstand future cliff erosion while offering improved pathways and a transparent balustrade for better visitor access. Tendering for construction is scheduled for January, with building work hoped to start in autumn 2027.
The new gallery will mark the first stage of broader plans to transform RSPB Bempton Cliffs into the UK’s leading centre for seabird and marine monitoring and eco-tourism. Each year, around half a million seabirds – including puffins, gannets, guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes, and fulmars – gather on the 400-metre chalk cliffs to breed, attracting over 120,000 human visitors annually.
“Bempton Cliffs is one of those places that stays with people forever,” said Dave O’Hara, Senior Reserve Manager at RSPB Bempton Cliffs. “Increasing erosion along the cliff top means we now need to act to protect the future of this incredible viewpoint. Our vision for a new wildlife viewing gallery will not only create better visitor access for all but create an even more immersive and inspiring experience for everyone who comes here.”
David Phillips, Director at structureHaus, added: “We are thrilled to work on this dynamic project for one of Yorkshire’s most loved nature reserves. We are passionate about the relationship between engineering, design, and the natural environment.”
Members of the public can donate to the project via the “A Grandstand for Nature” JustGiving page.
