Major sections fell into the sea during storms in late 2002, and two separate fires, both thought to be arson,[2] in March and May 2003 destroyed most of the remaining structure, leading to English Heritage declaring it beyond repair.

Some schemes have been opposed by local residents and the owners of the nearby Palace Pier, claiming unfair competition.

[4] Some wealthy residents in the nearby Regency Square objected to construction, complaining that the planned toll houses at the entrance would spoil the view of the sea from their homes.

By the opening, the pier was fitted with gas lamps with ornamental serpent designs, which had been directly influenced by similar examples inside the nearby Royal Pavilion.

[11][12] By the early 20th century, the earlier priority of good sea air on the pier had been replaced with a desire for public entertainment.

[7] The pier's central decking was removed during World War II to prevent enemy landings, and its popularity began to decline.

[16] On 26 November 1944, a Royal Air Force Hawker Typhoon fighter hit the pier, crashing onto the beach.

[7] Some portions of wood and iron from the pier fell on the beach, and the pierhead was closed in 1970 due to safety concerns.

[9][16] The pier was Grade II listed in 1969[18] and the council served compulsory repair notices, but the company was unable to afford them and opted for voluntary liquidation.

[9] The remainder of the pier was closed in 1975 when the Brighton Corporation declined to buy it, passing control to the Crown Estate Commissioners.

[9] The pier suffered structural damage due to the Great Storm of 1987, and access from the shore was removed for safety reasons in 1991.

[16] In December 2002, the pier partially collapsed during a storm, when a walkway connecting the concert hall and pavilion fell into the sea.

[19] The following month, the concert hall in the middle of the pier fell over, leaving the entire structure close to total collapse.

[27] In February 2014, due to stormy weather, the pier split in half and a large part of the centre fell into the sea.

[35] In 2019, the Trust sought to restore a Victorian-era octagonal kiosk that was salvaged from the pier in 1996 and planned to raise the estimated cost of about £750,000 using a crowdfunding campaign among other avenues.

[36] It also started periodic auctioning of various remains and fragments of the pier to fund a new seaside learning centre at the site of the original kiosk.

[36] In 2010, the West Pier was illuminated with 3D mapping lasers as part of a series of artworks by Josef O'Connor to celebrate the Chinese New Year of the Tiger.

[41] It was also prominently featured in the French comedy La Course à l'échalote (1975), starring Pierre Richard and Jane Birkin.