Compare and contrast: Standard Quay without its barges and Maldon, where barges are many and tourists flock

While this is Faversham in January this year, after most of the barges left:

If you think Maldon has things right while Faversham has it wrong, there’s still time – just – to let Swale Borough’s councillors know what you think about the restaurant proposal by the way – see this earlier post. For more information, also see The Quay website, the Faversham Creek Trust website and the Visions of a Creek website.

I’ve just written to Swale’s councillors in the following terms:

‘Dear councillors:

‘The planning committee is about to make a crucially important decision in relation to Faversham’s Standard Quay: the decision of whether to allow the Black Building to be turned into a restaurant.

‘I am writing today to make the point that the Essex town of Maldon has taken care to welcome sailing barges, including the maintenance and repair work that goes with it – and that as a result its quay, known as The Hythe, is bustling with traditional craft, and with visitors.

‘As a boat user in the Faversham area and the owner of property in this wonderful, historic town, I care a great deal about Faversham’s future.

‘I feel strongly that Maldon has got the right approach to attracting both traditional craft and tourists, and that it is a tragedy that boat owners and boat repairing businesses and other maritime industries report that they have been driven away from Standard Quay. I further believe that converting the Black Building into a restaurant will ensure that the barges and maritime industries will never return.

‘I have written a post about this issue on my popular weblog this morning: http://intheboatshed.net/2013/04/24/compare-and-contrast-standard-quay-without-its-barges-and-maldon-where-barges-are-many-and-tourists-flock/

‘It will be seen by thousands of people over the next few days.

‘You will I am sure have received earlier emails refuting the Swale planning department’s argument that Standard Quay does not have a long history as a centre for boatbuilding and boat repair – even taken alone the fact that the famous Goldfinch family of boatbuilders built one of Faversham’s most famous vessels, Goldfinch, shows this argument is not true.

‘Gavin Atkin’