Gavin Atkin's weblog for the sort of people who like looking inside boat sheds. It's about old boats, traditional boats, boat building, restoration, the sea and the North Kent Coast
The appeal is to pay for a new swinging bridge that will allow smacks, sailing barges and other traditional craft to moor (and to be maintained) at the top end of Faversham Creek. It’s a great cause.
Get more details including how to contribute here.
The Swing the Bridge apeal aims to raise £125,000 by 1st October 2015 with the aim of enabling a new swing bridge to be built to replace the old one, which is on its way out.
The money will be added to the funds that would otherwise the used to build a fixed bridge – but the importance of a new functioning swing bridge is that it will allow the regeneration of the basin at the top of the Creek.
A swing bridge will enable barges, smacks and other vessels to moor and be maintained,in the basin, allow Faversham Creek Trusts workshops and apprentice scheme to connect with the rest of the Creek and the sea, and will mean that once again, the masts of sea-going vessels will be visible from the centre of the town.
It’s an exciting prospect, and with every donation comes a little closer to reality
The appeal is promoted by the Faversham Creek Trust, The Faversham Society and the Brents Community Association.
The artwork below neatly summarises the FCT’s long term aim.
Faversham Creek, 1905 – a postcard from Gary Vaughan’s fascinating collection
The Faversham Creek Trust’s weblog has published a cheering post, after a revision of the Faversham Creek neighbourhood plan by Swale Borough Council designed to take into account concerns raised by English Heritage.
Here’s what the FCT folks say:
‘The amendments do make a very considerable difference to the Plan, especially to Ordnance Wharf and Swan Quay, and to matters concerning the conservation area, the archaeology and historical aspects of the sites, the views and design standards. Specific sites which are affected directly (although all are covered by the ‘Background Text and Scene Setting’ and the ‘Creek-Wide Policies’) are Site 2 Ordnance Wharf, Site 3 BMM Weston, Sites 4 and 5 Swan Quay/Frank and Whittome, Site 8 Standard Quay and Site 9 Standard House.
‘The policies for Ordnance Wharf would make it considerably more difficult to build residential units on it, but still would not preclude them.
‘The policies for Swan Quay would make it more difficult for the proposed large blocks of flats to be built by the Quayside, but would allow some housing. They offer much more protection to the existing industrial buildings, the industrial nature of the site, and to the environment of the historic and listed buildings on and close to the site, but it may not be enough.
‘The policies for Standard Quay remove the use of Building No. 1 as a restaurant.
‘The policies for Standard House offer greater protection to its setting as a significant landmark on the Creek.
‘In summary, then, these changes do offer some, but not all, of what Faversham Creek Trust and others have been asking for all these years.’
We’ll have to see what the town’s council makes of the revisions when it meets, but I think it’s clear that both the FCT should be congratulated for its continuing campaigning for the Creek, and English Heritage should be thanked for its intervention.
Btw… a huge amount depends on the non-working swing bridge near the top of the creek being updated, which would once again allow vessels to moor in the basin up-river. The FCT is earnestly raising money to do just that. Read about its efforts here, and please throw a few bobs their way if you can.