Councillors to look at changes to "Exmouth Splash" following consultation

East Devon District Council Cabinet next week will consider a report describing progress on the priority projects helping to regenerate Exmouth.

Part of the report brings all councillors up to speed on the Exmouth Splash, in particular the outcomes of the recent public consultation and some changes to the proposed scheme that local people have asked for.

Members will decide whether to give officers the green light to take forward actions to redevelop the Exmouth Splash area including discussion with interested parties and the processes to deliver new attractions such as an outline planning application.

Public consultation over the Splash proposals was held between November and January. EDDC received over 500 questionnaires showing a wide spread of opinion from residents, businesses, organisations and visitors on each of the main consultation issues. Exmouth Community College students also joined in and various local organisations made their views known.

People’s responses included proposals for play and recreation areas, a watersports hub, new cafes and restaurants and re-aligning the road.

EDDC councillors, officers and members of the Exmouth Regeneration Project Executive have studied all responses and will now propose to modify the scheme in the following ways:

The Watersports hub would move to the far eastern edge of the site in response to water users’ comments on beach safety and size of site for required storage.
The public open space area would now be in the centre front of the site (where the watersports hub was originally proposed) giving a more natural and open feeling to the area on arriving from the west. Rather than have a fenced pay-to-enter area, attractions such as mini-golf would be included within public open-space. This would be similar to arrangements on regenerated seafronts in other towns such as Teignmouth.
Car-parking would amount to at least 280 spaces but remain as surface car parking only. This would be nearly 80 more than the number there now. Additional spaces specifically for the hotel/holiday accommodation could increase this by approximately another 50.
There will be a further investigation of market demand for a hotel or other type of holiday accommodation at the north western part of the site.
As well as specific modifications to the scheme, councillors will consider proposals which would allow existing tenants to be part of Exmouth Splash by bidding for long leaseholds which would be available.

Cllr Andrew Moulding, Exmouth Regeneration Project Board Chairman, welcomed the opportunity to modify the Splash proposals following public comment: “Public consultation revealed a wide spread of opinion about what should happen at Exmouth Splash, including a range of thoughtful suggestions.

“I’m pleased that we have been able to propose some modifications that respond to some of the more strongly-held opinion. We won’t be able to act on everything that was suggested, but I am confident we have an improved, exciting and sustainable proposal to take forward.”

The Exmouth Update report including the Splash scheme will go before East Devon District Council’s Cabinet on 6 March 2013. If approved, the plans will take another step forward and a formal planning application could follow quite quickly.

The full range of detailed responses to the public consultation were published by EDDC earlier in February and can be seen on-line at www.eastdevon.gov.uk/exmouthsplashconsultationreport