So, Brunswick Wharf Mark 2 has now got planning permission, Torridge District Council has joined the Northern Devon Railway Alliance, and the clock on St Mary’s Church is back doing what it is supposed to do which is to tell the time. It seems like everything is happening in a rush now before the summer holidays start in earnest. 

From the perspective of Bideford’s heritage, the Brunswick news is by far the most significant. The developer, Red Earth, is bound by a condition of the planning approval to reinstate the Brunswick Wharf plaque on one of the new buildings, and has publically committed to a range of measures to commemorate the shipbuilding and commerce which took place on the historic site. Some people have objected to the height of the buildings or the loss of some car parking spaces, forgetting that wharf buildings were originally tall – we remember how dark Barnstaple Street was before the site was cleared – and that the car park was a temporary solution for a piece of waste ground. No doubt there will be inconvenience as the works get going and the design won’t be to everyone’s taste, but it least we now have a clear way forward for a strategic brown field site which has the potential to contribute a lot to Bideford’s regeneration. 

Should heritage vessels pay reduced mooring fees? Certainly, in some heritage harbours this is the case. Reduced fees can attract vessels which enhance the tourist offer and draw in visitors. The Steamship Freshspring is perhaps a deserving case. But the problem we have in Bideford is that almost all the ships here, some in a dire state of repair, could be classed as heritage vessels. The Oldenburg itself meets that description, being well over fifty years old. And some of the old boats along the quay are hardly visitor attractions. So, for the moment, we understand the answer is no, though this might change if we get an opportunity to bring a prestige ship like the Kathleen and May back to Bideford. 

Still on a watery theme, the Environment Agency has been consulting about plans to improve the flood defences in and around the Kenwith Nature Reserve. The Kenwith dam and other earthworks need attention if they are going to continue to protect the centre of Bideford. Photos of the 1993 floods around Alexandra Terrace reminded us of the risks. Unfortunately, this will involve the clearance of some trees and shrubs.

TT