£800,000 foreshore improvement scheme for River Exe

Concrete blockwork protecting the foreshore of the River Exe around the Imperial Recreation Ground is to be replaced in an £800,000 improvement scheme scheduled to start this month and extend into late spring.

The affected area of foreshore stretches from The Royal Avenue near the Rugby Club to the slipway at the Sea Scout hut. Contractor’s vehicles will also be using the Camperdown Car Park area at the western end of Victoria Way.

For safety reasons, the public will have only limited access to the area for the duration of the works. The access road and car parking spaces on the recreation ground will be closed until the project has been completed.

East Devon District Council has arranged for the scheme to be carried out in phases over a period of several months with two aims in mind:

• Minimising disturbance to the thousands of waterbirds that overwinter on the Estuary
• Limiting inconvenience to people using the grassland and the water.

The work, which has planning permission, is necessary because the blockwork making up what is called a ‘revetment’ has been damaged or undermined since it was put in place in the late 1980s. Inert fill material has also leaked out, meaning that the foreshore also needs to be cleared.

Signs will be placed at key points around the site to ensure that visitors and regular users know which areas are restricted and when. There will also be frequently updated information in a dedicated section on the Council’s website.

After extensive consultation, the timing of the works was arranged to minimise disturbance to birds wintering on the estuary and also to limit the impact on water users accessing the estuary from the grassy bank or the slipway.

The works will mean that large sections of the grassy area will be fenced off and out-of-bounds to the public for safety reasons for several weeks at a time. Access to the Imperial Recreation Ground Slipway will also be restricted.

Water users will be kept fully informed of the arrangements and restrictions whilst residents of properties nearby will be contacted by the contractor to ensure they know how the works are likely to impact on them.

Residents near Camperdown Depot have already been informed that the car park will be closed until early April and are aware of alternative arrangements for parking their vehicles.

As the works involve recontouring of the revetment, some trees and the roadway will need to be removed. But all will be replaced during remedial and landscaping works, some of which may take place after the summer season.

The contractor will arrive on site on Monday 21 January to start setting up and work will get under way on Monday 4 February.

The work will be carried out in four phases:

Phase 1 Site set-up from 21 Jan to 3 Feb

Phase 2 The Gut and Slipway works from 4 Feb to the 31 March

Phase 3 Remaining revetment works from 1 April to early June

Phase 4 Landscaping Works – dates to be agreed.

The works have been planned and phased so that the slipway can remain available for as long as possible, but there will be times when access onto the recreation ground will be restricted. For safety reasons the children’s play area will not be accessible for the duration of the works. In Phases 1 and 2, the Camperdown entrance will be used for access by construction vehicles and equipment, and the car park will be closed. After 1 April the slipway (accessed from Camperdown) and Camperdown Car Park will be open again.

Councillor Iain Chubb, EDDC’s Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “Everyone at EDDC is aware of the importance of this public open space to many users. The contractor has agreed that he will do all he can to keep disruption to a minimum.

“This work is absolutely essential, so we hope that everyone will be patient with us and our contractor while we get it done. This is another important EDDC investment in enhancing Exmouth for locals and visitors alike, bearing in mind its key position at the gateway to the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site”.

Enquiries about the progress of the works can be directed to EDDC Environmental Health 01395 517456 in the first instance and will be forwarded to the appropriate Client Officer or Contractor for response. More information will be available during the works at: www.eastdevon.gov.uk