Multi-million pound Bideford riverside development is facing a delay

The start of work on Bideford’s Brunswick Wharf scheme to create apartments and business units has been delayed by at least a month.

Developer Red Earth has said the start of construction, originally scheduled to begin this month, will now be pushed back until at least October due to hold ups in the planning process.

A Section 73 planning application, which makes minor amendments to the scheme, had been expected to go before the Planning Committee on September 11. However, the earliest this will now be considered is October and construction can only begin once this application has been approved.

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Simon Friend, Red Earth director, said the delays were due to waiting for responses from required internal consultees at Torridge District Council, which he says arrived very late in the process.

Mr Friend said: “We are really disappointed to have to announce this delay. It is frustrating, particularly given the strong and constructive engagement we have had with Torridge District Council over the past few years as we have worked to bring this complex development forward.

“Councillors and members of the public have been very supportive throughout. Inevitably, with a project of this scale, there have been a number of refinements as the technical design has developed.

“The challenge we face is that responses from some internal statutory consultees within TDC have arrived extremely late in the process. This leaves insufficient time for all parties to address detailed technical matters appropriately and unfortunately creates an incredibly disruptive knock-on effect for construction programming.”

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Once work does begin, Morgan Sindall Construction and Infrastructure Limited will be the project’s main contractor.

The scheme will regenerate a stretch of the town’s historic riverside that has been largely disused for many years, providing more than 100 apartments, a restaurant, six retail units, a pop-up café and a riverside walk linked to a public open square.

It will also incorporate a surface-level car park that doubles as an outdoor events space, enhanced greenspace, energy-efficient homes, renewable technologies and a cycle and pedestrian route linking to the Tarka Trail.

Mr Friend added: “Brunswick Wharf is poised to become a landmark development for Bideford, a vibrant waterside community hub that celebrates the town’s rich heritage.

“While we are disappointed by this delay, we remain fully committed to delivering a sustainable, innovative project that will benefit residents and the wider community for generations to come.”