Plans under way to boost town's tourist appeal

Bideford welcomed the world's last sea-going paddle steamer, Waverley, in May and June

A coastal town in north Devon is working to compete with other tourist-popular ports, its harbour master has said.

Bideford Harbour almost tripled its income for the early summer period compared to 2023, but the town is grappling with competition from other towns around Devon and Cornwall to attract visitors.

A quarterly report for Torridge District Council’s internal overview and scrutiny committee showed an upturn in income from £11,000 in April to June 2023 to more than £30,000 in the same period in 2024.

A long-term strategy is being sought for the harbour as commercial trade has substantially dropped.

Seaweed income hopes

An increase in pleasure-boat mooring and pilotage income from a sand dredging campaign this April also helped boost funds, councillors were told.

It is hoped seaweed farming, which is being trialled in the area, could provide an income stream, and more tourist traffic is being encouraged.

Bideford welcomed the world's last sea-going paddle steamer, Waverley, in May for the first time since the 1980s and she returned again in June.

Committee members were told proactive work, involving the harbour team “cold calling” the Waverley management team, had resulted in the paddle steamer’s visits.

'Struggles to compete'

Discussions are under way pitching for up to six visits in 2025.

The port has offered very generous terms to encourage a return, but there are no guarantees, harbour master Paul Brown said.

“We are also trying to make contact with other companies with suitably generous terms to encourage other vessels to return to Bideford,” he said.

“At present Bideford town really struggles to compete with places like Fowey, Dartmouth and Ilfracombe.”

Non-elected committee member Ian Harper said he was glad the Torridge Estuary Strategy was being refreshed as it was “outdated” and leisure and tourism was the “main driver of everything that happened on the water these days”.