Guide Belshers Slipway

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1. Results from organisations

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. 44 organisations responded.

Use of Belshers Slipway and Shelly Beach

  • 75% use the slipway and 49% use the beach to launch / recover engine powered craft. 59% use the beach and 85% use the slipway to launch / recover non-engine powered craft. 49% 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, there is no alternative for the purposes they need and is the only one that can be used in all weathers.
  • 55% of users use Belshers Slipway and / or Shelly Beach more than once a week.
  • 90% of users use Belshers Slipway and / or Shelly Beach at weekends, 15% on evenings during the week and 83% at 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?

93% stated it would have negative impact(s) on them, mainly as:

  1. Our business / organisation would be significantly harmed (some said - and may shut down or move.)
  2. It’s the only launch/recovery point in Exmouth that’s accessible at all states of the tide.
  3. It’s the only safe launch/recovery point in Exmouth.

7% stated it would have positive impact(s), mainly as it would go some way to reducing and controlling jet skis and it would please nearby residents.

0% 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?

70% stated it would have negative impact(s) on them. The most common comments were:

  1. It’s the only way of accessing the water at all tides in Exmouth
  2. I need vehicle access to my tender / boat for heavy equipment, goods and fuel
  3. My tender / boat is too heavy to manually pull around and launch.

20% said it would have no impact.

10% said it would have positive impact(s), mainly as it would reduce the negative impact on the environment.

Other questions

28% 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. A solution would be greater enforcement and monitoring