Pedal power with a difference in Exmouth

Keep fit . . . and charge your mobile phone at the same time.

Pedal power has come to Exmouth as static outdoor dynamo bikes – which can generate enough power to charge up mobile phones - have been opened by Exmouth's Mayor Madeleine Chapman.

Exmouth Town Council, East Devon District Council and a local resident have worked together to bring the unique £30,000 exercise bicycles, complete with a shelter, to the town. Not only will the bikes help keep people fit, they will generate electricity, too, with small lights showing how much power your hard pedalling has produced.

The bicycles, which are located in the sunken gardens next to The Pavilion, are free to use and can power mobile phones, as long as users bring their own charger connection lead. 

Funding for the project has come from Section 106 legal agreements with a number of developers who have built housing in the Exmouth Town Council area. Developers had given a total of £150,000 towards sporting facilities for the town.

East Devon District and Exmouth Town Councils asked residents, community groups and other town organisations to put forward their ideas on how the money should be spent and residents voted for which projects they wanted.

The dynamo bikes were the idea of an Exmouth artist who has worked with East Devon District Council officers and Exmouth town councillors Pat Graham, Bill Nash, Sandy MacQueen and Alison Greenhalgh to make the project happen.

The Exmouth Town Council group and East Devon officers have also been working hard to deliver the other most popular projects too which include:

• The outdoor gym equipment in Phear Park and near the seafront , costing £25,000,

• A £50,000 contribution towards the multi use games area and refurbished tennis courts in Phear Park,

• £60,000 towards making Exmouth skate park larger and re-designing it with new ramps,

• £40,000 for the multi use games area in Littleham,

• A continental style open air shower on the seafront near The Octagon, which cost £5,000. There are two more outdoor showers to come later this year which will cost a further £10,000.

Cllr Iain Chubb, East Devon District Council’s Portfolio holder for Environment, said: “I am really pleased that East Devon could promote exercise by helping make this happen.

“As a council, we chose to involve the community in spending this money, which the vast majority of other local authorities don’t. It’s great that it is used to fund what the community really wants. I am looking forward to having a go on the bikes and charging my phone at the same time!”

Cllr Alison Greenhalgh and Cllr Bill Nash, who are part of the Exmouth Town councillors group involved with the projects, said: "This was a challenging, but exciting project and we are pleased that residents and visitors to Exmouth will now be able to exercise and charge their mobile phones for free. The bikes will add to the well-used outdoor gym in the sunken garden next to the Pavilion.”