THE influential Exmouth Community Association has published its vision for the seafront.

East Devon District Council is drawing up a blueprint for Exmouth for the next 16 years called the Core Strategy and one of the key planks is the production of a Seafront Masterplan.

Now Exmouth Community Association’s Estuary Working Party has published its seafront report to give its view.

The ECA is made up of local residents, who come from all walks of life; some are professional planning officers, architects and retired public sector employees, while others just have an interest in the town’s future.

“Exmouth beach is among the best in the South West and there are few that can compare,” reads the report.

“…it is better to gain support from the community for a realistic and deliverable plan and then take the necessary time to realise the Masterplan, without compromising it.

“…funding will be tight for the near future… but this should not be used to justify the compromising of key principles, for instance, by allowing additional buildings on the seaward side of the seafront.”

The report is wide ranging and the conclusions are varied; they say that the ‘open airiness’ of the seafront should kept and there should be no additional buildings on the seaward side of the Esplanade.

It adds that traffic should give priority to pedestrians, cyclists and mobility vehicles, raising the prospect of pedestrianisation, while three new piazzas should be established.

They also conclude that better connections between the seafront, town centre and transport interchange is needed and better provision for water sports – but not a water sports centre on the seafront.