One of Devon’s best kept secrets

One of Devon’s best kept secrets has to be Paignton Harbour! That never ceases to amaze me. I am also regularly amazed by the number of local people who don’t know that Paignton has a harbour. When you have such a wonderful resource that has for so many years been underused then you really must start scratching your head. The lovely little harbour has its own quiet beach that is dog friendly throughout the year. How nice is that!

Oddly enough the harbour used to be a hub of activity but so much of that has changed. But why is that? The Rowing Club and Sailing Club both still attract good numbers. The Sea Scouts still bob around on the water and yet all is not the same.

One major change has been the arrival of numerous signs, street furniture and regulations telling people what they cannot do! Where else would you find a large board displaying all the local bye laws? Where else would you find wires spread around the harbour walls to stop folk fishing? Torbay Council really must think what they want here because the messages seem confused.

In my opinion the quaint little harbour could be the very thing to make Paignton the place to visit. Using this wonderful place as a ‘honeypot’ destination might be that essential ingredient that we attempt to breathe new life into the local economy!

People love food and the growth of fish restaurants has been phenomenal recently. Paignton Harbour already has a number of wonderful restaurants and eateries in addition to shellfish merchants. Did you know that you can buy fresh lobster here? 

We can build upon this with fish festivals and other events that will bring thousands flooding to Paignton. I can almost smell the wonderful aroma of a giant pan full of bubbling paella being cooked in the open air on the harbourside! 

Celebrate Paignton Harbour – you know it makes sense!

I wrote the words for the free Mini Herald Express newspaper recently. Just to add to the frustration I would like to add two other little points.

The first is that, due to a misunderstanding, Paignton Harbour is outside the Paignton BID (business improvement district) area. This beautiful little harbour is therefore only mentioned in passing and yet it is, as I have already said, a natural hub or if you like a tourist honey pot. The Paignton BID folk recently punted the possibility of statues around the town. I immediately thought of Ilfracombe and Damian Hurst's Verity standing proud over their harbour. It attracts thousands.

Then to rub salt into the wound Torbay Council have appointed a parking control company to extract revenue from hapless motorists. You can debate the sense of that policy but what really gets my goat is the fact that the signs say that the harbour is private property! That is simply silliness and will frighten visitors away.

With one hand we talk about regeneration and with the other we find ways of scaring folk away.