A proposal to redevelop the seafront has the support of the town’s largest community group, the Exmouth Community Association.

A water sports hub, leisure area, retail units, public area and a hotel are some of the ideas proposed for the area between the old Lifeboat Station and The Maer - and the district council have asked for people’s views.

The deadline for consultations closed on Monday, January 15, and the ECA have submitted a 14-point report in response.

Many of the plan’s key aspects have been influenced by the ECA’s 2010 report, drawn up by the 14 members of ECA’s Seafront Working Party.

They back ‘realigning’ Queens Drive from the seafront to between a new car park and water sports hub, which would be next to the old lifeboat station, and they suggest a 20mph speed limit.

But they say that the area will have more retail units than what they consider is ‘needed’ while they say beach access for water users is too far west.

The report reads: “The majority of the water sports participants will need to enter the sea at the eastern end of the retail and amusement area, and not the western end.”

It adds: “The indoor areas (should) accommodate a café, an ice cream shop, an art shop, a shop for beach goods and a traditional amusement arcade. No further retail is needed, in our view.”

They say that a there should be access allowing people to take a small dinghy or kayak into the water.

“The only slipway is by the Harbour View café. There should therefore be facilities for cars with trailers to park in the area in front of the (water sports) building…

“This slipway should also be made available to the successful and growing rowing club, who should be housed in the old lifeboat station. “

They suggest that any buildings in the retail and amusement should be no higher than one storey, and that all buildings should be restricted in height.

And they add that the area earmarked for the watersports hub, to the east of the old lifeboat station, was ‘too small’.

They support plans for a toddlers’ play pool in the amusement area but suggest that the adjacent open public space should have seating, landscaping, art and play equipment.

They add: “An issue to be addressed for all the areas close to the beach is control of the sand, which is frequently blown over.”