A walk on the waterfront poses many questions for The Captain
On a recent trip to the Stonehouse peninsula, I found that the Devil’s Point car park had been reduced to 20 places (+ a few disabled ones). This situation is likely to continue for several months as the old reservoir is converted to extra parking. Hopeful parkers are directed to the car park by Stonehouse Bridge, rather than the Cremyll Ferry one.
The Cremyll Ferry car park remains a bit of a mystery. In a city where the Council is avowedly anti-residents’ cars, why does the Cremyll Ferry visitors car park remain free and not time-limited? The consequence is that there is rarely any space available for visitors who wish to use this car park, as it is almost completely occupied by local residents. A ‘Beagle area’ resident repeatedly asked PCC why this carpark had so little availability for ‘visitors’, but was unable to get any real answer. The residents of the Stonehouse peninsula clearly have great lobbying power.
On the subject of the Cremyll ferry, the Cornish end having been out of use for several months, whilst the Mount Edgecombe slip was rebuilt, it is now back in service, but the slip at Devon end is now closed until further notice and the ferries are running from the basin in Royal William Yard.
It continues to amaze this ‘ancient mariner’ why the seashore authorities (not just PCC!) fail to understand the power of the sea. Many of us will remember the saga of the Barbican lock gate (now on its third iteration), the twice rebuilt steps down into the West Hoe Harbour, the Stairway to Devon (why on earth did it need a rebuild so soon – the builders of RWY must have been turning in their graves), the saga of the sea swimming pool below Pier One, which was filled in and the concrete platform to the seaward side rebuilt – only for the platform to wash away in the first storm months later and, finally, the grand opening of the ‘storm shutter-less’ Waterfront pub – destroyed the next night! With the exception of the Waterfront (but why did they think the Victorians had thought storm shutters were necessary?), none of these were subject to ‘Great Storms’ – just normal winter weather. I fear that those authorities that I am criticising will say ‘austerity’, ‘value for the public purse’ etc., but I fear that the real reason is that repairs are funded from current spending and that the cheapest solution will usually therefore be chosen, whereas a better – more sea-resistant – job would almost certainly save money in the long-term.
Enough grumbling. Continuing eastward around the shore, I find piling has now started, noisily, on the Rusty Anchor site at the end of Millbay Marina Village.
Some good news – the swimming pontoon is back off the lido and the Hoe jetty has a new rubber fender – so all is ready for the Summer grockle boats!
Also, it looks as if the long-awaited charging points for ice cream vans on Hoe Road will soon be up and running (no more little children queuing in a cloud of diesel fumes).
And the lido has had its annual repaint (surely a tiled base would have been better long-term value?). There looks to be good progress on the new lido café too – and – hurray, hurray – it looks as if the railings are stainless steel, so should not need regular painting.
Happy Easter to you all.
The Captain
