The unveiling of a proposed £3m watersports centre for Exmouth seems to have been broadly welcomed, although some have questioned why local groups and the town council were not consulted before it was announced by East Devon council.
Maybe that was because they might have questioned the most obvious point – the proposed site is on the main car park for that part of the seafront, as you can see from the map on the right.
So the new centre would wipe out the 210 spaces in the Queen's Drive car park, but provide hardly any new ones, if the council's picture is anything to go by. Are people expected to park half a mile away and lug their kites and boards across the Maer recreation ground? The Queen's Drive car park is always pretty full in the summer. There are 78 spaces along the seafront road, but they will be in demand by beachgoers. This doesn't seem to add up, unless there is going to be a new car park somewhere.
