Save our Wedding Cake; nuclear sub in The Sound; an update on the Barbican blaze; Reverend Sue to help transform Devonport; work to save West Hoe Pier....
Huge response to Barbican blaze - fire service says no-one hurt
A top floor flat and the roof of a block of properties in Vauxhall Street were damaged in a severe fire that saw emergency teams arrive from all over Devon. At one stage TEN fire crews were on the scene last night (Thursday).
Devon and Somerset Fire Service said: "We are happy to confirm all persons had either evacuated prior to our arrival or been accounted for by ourselves, and there were no casualties. However, Plymouth Community Homes and the Police were required to attend to assist with rehoming residents and manage crowds."
Save our Wedding Cake - 'desperate' appeal
A campaign has been launched to restore one of Plymouth Hoe’s most recognisable landmarks.
City campaigner Kevin Kelway has started a petition calling on Plymouth City Council to fund the restoration of the Belvedere Monument, better known to generations of Plymothians as the “Wedding Cake”.
The landmark has been a familiar part of the city’s waterfront for more than 135 years.
Mr Kelway, who describes himself as a Hoe resident of 30 years, says the Grade II-listed structure has fallen into disrepair and is in urgent need of repainting and restoration. He argues that preserving the monument would protect an important piece of Plymouth’s heritage while boosting civic pride and tourism.
In the petition, Mr Kelway describes the Wedding Cake as a landmark that “encapsulates the heart and soul of Plymouth” and compares its importance to other iconic attractions on the Hoe waterfront. He is urging the council to commit funding and resources to bring the monument back to its former glory using historically accurate restoration techniques.
"This is not merely an act of preservation but an investment in Plymouth's cultural prosperity, boosting tourism and local pride," he said.
The petition was launched on 21 May and had attracted dozens of signatures within its first week. Supporters hope the campaign will help secure the future of one of Plymouth’s best-loved historic landmarks.
Scene on the Sound
Beagle maritime correspondent 'The Captain' keeps his eye on the water
The main source of interest in the Sound this week has been the arrival of an Astute-class nuclear submarine (SSN). The Royal Navy has six Astutes in commission, with one more on order. However, these boats have been dogged by maintenance and availability issues since the first entered service and HMS Anson is the only one fully operational.
So, despite the usual ‘anonymity’ of all submarine movements, there is little doubt that the SSN entering Devonport on Tuesday this week was Anson, which left Faslane, near Glasgow, on 10th January and was expected to be away for many months.
She arrived in HMAS Stirling, the RAN base south of Perth in Western Australia, on February 22. The plan was that she would operate with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) for a few months, with RAN Officers onboard, in the waters around Australia. This deployment was a part of the AUKUS (Australia, UK & USA) agreement. A 50-year plan under which the RN and RAN will build and operate up to 17 SSNs (12 RN and 5 RAN) of the same class.
However ….. real world events intervened and after a brief period in Australian waters, HMS Anson was re-deployed. Why, and where to, were as usual not disclosed, but it is reasonable to assume that she was sent to the Arabian Sea, south of the Strait of Hormuz. On Sunday last (24th May), HMS Anson secured to D Buoy in the Sound and on Tuesday afternoon, she entered Devonport. It is not known how long she’ll be here, or indeed, why she’s here at all, when her base port is Faslane. My guess would be that she’s here for a maintenance period after 4 months of non-stop running.
Another less common visitor has been the buoy-laying vessel Forth Constructor. Last Saturday, she spent most of the day lifting the large green buoy just off the West Hoe.
Last night (Thursday) the Royal Norwegian Navy’s corvette HNoMS Storm arrived – almost certainly for a period of training with FOST. Storm is a Skjold-class corvette capable of 60kts (about 75mph) in a calm sea. As can be seen from her shape, she is not only fast, but also stealthy – having very low radar signature.
She has a 76mm gun of the focsle and eight of the naval strike missiles (NSM) in the hull. This is the same, very capable, anti-ship and land-attack missile that has recently been bought by six other NATO navies, including the RN. The NSM has a range of up to 300 miles and will be fitted to the present generation of Frigates and Destroyers the Type 23s and Type 45s). In RN service it will replace the US-built Harpoon.
Today (Friday) we saw Portuguese and Norwegian frigates arriving: NRP Bartolomeu Dias, NRP Dom Francisco de Almeida, and HNOMS Fridtjof Nansen.
DID YOU KNOW?
Westward Shipping News operates a live webcam looking at Plymouth Hoe and the ships arriving and departing The Sound. Click here to take a look
Reverend Sue to lead vital Devonport and Mount Wise transformation
A well-known Devonport community leader has been appointed to oversee a major regeneration programme set to bring millions of pounds of investment into the area.
Plymouth Sutton and Devonport MP Luke Pollard has announced that Reverend Sue Nicholas will chair the newly formed Pride in Place Board for Devonport, Mount Wise and Morice Town. The board will help guide projects funded through a government-backed programme expected to deliver up to £20 million over the next decade to improve neighbourhoods and community facilities.
Rev Nicholas, who leads St Aubyn Church in Devonport Library and serves as a governor at Mount Wise Primary School, has become a familiar figure in the area through her community work. During the Covid-19 pandemic she helped coordinate food support for local families, efforts which later evolved into the Devonport Food Club and regular holiday food sessions.
Announcing the appointment, Mr Pollard described Rev Nicholas as “the absolute definition of community spirit” and praised her commitment to supporting local families and neighbourhoods.
The Pride in Place programme aims to give residents a greater say in how regeneration funding is spent. Priorities identified through local consultation include improving parks and public spaces, supporting youth services, enhancing safety and revitalising high streets. Further details of projects and opportunities for residents to get involved are expected in the coming weeks.
West Hoe Pier: more work planned to protect infrastructure
Plymouth Council plans to do more work at West Hoe Pier after the devastating winter damage from Storm Bram.
The Grade II listed 19th century structure is recognised as making a significant contribution to the nationally important seafront landscape of the city - and serves as an example of Victorian-era coastal engineering.
However much of the grouting on sea-facing walls and steps needs replacing.
Details of the proposed work are online here. Any comments on the plans should be sent to planningconsents@plymouth.gov.uk by June 30 quoting 26/00739/LBC
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