Officers at East Devon District Council (EDDC) have now made a refreshed offer to businesses in The Strand who wish to trade on the land owned by the council this summer.

The council has taken in to consideration the views that have been expressed by traders over recent days and wants to find a positive way forward. EDDC has always wanted to enable the continued use of The Strand for hospitality businesses to place tables and chairs on council owned land and to continue the café culture/alfresco environment that has proven so popular.

The council had been seeking a fair commercial rent and had hoped the traders in this space would have entered into constructive negotiation with our agents as they had been encouraged to do. However in light of the unique circumstances of this space with pavement licences also issued by Devon County Council a refreshed proposal has now been made to traders for the 2022 and 2023 seasons (April 1st – 30th September each year).

EDDC will be embarking this summer on a significant and exciting piece of work around place making in Exmouth with the recent appointment of a dedicated Project Manager. This work will include extensive consultation and engagement on a range of projects and opportunities across the town including The Strand and how we can further improve the offering. We hope that the traders will engage constructively in those discussions when they take place.