Guide Belshers Slipway

Show all parts of this guide

2. Results from individuals

The consultation was widely publicised using flyers and posters distributed in the local area, in the local media, on our website and social media accounts. Exmouth Town Council and District Councillors were made aware of the consultation and asked to publicise it amongst their residents. Stakeholders, businesses and people we knew were interested in the area were given information about the consultation. 611 people responded.

Use of Belshers Slipway and Shelly Beach

  • 66% use the slipway and 45% use the beach to launch / recover engine powered craft. 49% use the beach and 47% use the slipway to launch / recover non-engine powered craft. 23% drive vehicles down the slipway and onto the beach to access watercraft moored in the estuary.
  • 93% need access to the water at Belshers Slipway and/or Shelly Beach. Mainly as it’s the only launch / recovery point that can be used at all states of tide, it is the only safe place to launch / recover, there is no alternative and the location is important to them.
  • 68% of users use Belshers Slipway and / or Shelly Beach between six times a week and twice a month.
  • 90% of users use Belshers Slipway and / or Shelly Beach at weekends, 71% on evenings during the week and 58% on daytimes during the week.

If we were to ban the launching and recovery of watercraft at Belshers Slipway and from Shelly Beach what impact(s) would this have on you?

98% stated it would have negative impact(s) on them, mainly as:

  1. It’s the only launch / recovery point in Exmouth that’s available at all states of tide.
  2. It’s the only safe launch / recovery point in Exmouth.
  3. There is nowhere else in Exmouth I could launch / recover from.
  4. It will significantly reduce my quality of life.

3% stated it would have positive impact(s), mainly as it would go some way to reducing and controlling jet skis and it would make the beach and slipway safer.

1% stated it would have no impact.

If we were to ban the use of Belshers Slipway for driving non-water based vehicles down onto Shelly Beach to access watercraft moored in the estuary, what impact(s) would this have on you?

94% stated it would have negative impact(s) on them. Comments from people that use the slipway to drive down onto the beach to access watercraft moored in the estuary were:

  1. I wouldn’t be able to launch or recover my tender / boat.
  2. I need vehicle access to my tender / boat for heavy equipment and fuel.
  3. My tender / boat is too heavy to manually pull around and launch.
  4. It’s the only way I can access my mooring at all states of tide.

5% said it would have no impact.

1% said it would have positive impact(s).

Other questions

16% stated that in the last three years people have confronted them in a negative way about their use of Belshers Slipway and / or Shelly Beach.

When asked if they had any other comments, the most common were:

  1. People shouldn’t move to a working marina if they don’t like the noise or its usage
  2. Belshers Slipway and Shelly Beach are assets to the local community
  3. Exmouth needs more facilities for boats such as slipways
  4. Belshers Slipway and Shelly Beach are public rights of way

About you

72% of respondents lived within Exmouth, 17% within East Devon, 5% more within Devon and 6% from outside of Devon.

7% had a long standing illness, disability or infirmity. A few comments from this group stated there was no other launch/recovery point that was suitable for them to use.

Additional e-mails and letters

There were additional e-mails and letters received. These have been forwarded onto the legal team for consideration alongside these results.