Exmouth has £300,000 for sports facilities

5,000 households to vote

Five thousand Exmouth households are to get he chance to vote on how to spend nearly a third of a million pounds on sports facilities. Seven options are being put forward: mix of new proposals or the opportunity to improve existing ones.

The funds have been collected by East Devon District Council from housing developers as their contribution to the community. Last year East Devon District Council and Exmouth Town Council asked Exmouth’s residents, voluntary groups and other organisations to provide ideas on how to spend the money. Since then the councils have been working together with the people that proposed the projects to find out which of those proposals were eligible, affordable and can actually happen.

The 5,000 randomly selected Exmouth households will receive a letter in the post in the week of 31 August with a unique code to access the online vote. That's about 30 per cent of the households in the town. If certain age groups or locations are significantly under-represented within the voting, additional measures may have to be taken to make sure the demographics adequately represent Exmouth's population.

The seven projects are:

• Resurfacing the large sand astro pitch at Exmouth Community College which is at the end of its life. It is used by community groups in the evenings, as well as being used by the college throughout the week. Sports use includes football, hockey, rounders, soft ball, American football, handball, tag rugby, athletics and cricket.  Needs £150,000.
• A new drainage system at Exmouth Rugby Club for the two pitches and grass area next to Marine Way, allowing them to be able to be used more often. Matches and training are often called off because of waterlogged pitches.  Needs £210,000.
• Expanding the current concrete skate park in Phear Park, which is free to use. This is used by skateboarders, scooters and BMX riders. Needs £240,000.
• Adding new sports related equipment into Brixington park, all free to use, including a tarmacked games area with one goal for sports such as football and basketball and side panels for target practise; outdoor gym equipment; improvements to the informal pitch in the middle of the park, including some drainage improvements, some levelling and new football goals; graphics on part of a widened footpath for children to practice cycling and improved and extended footpaths and seating. Needs £150,000
• Additional car parking area at Withycombe Raleigh Common Football Pitches, home of the Brixington Blues and used by other clubs and teams. This would increase the usability of the pitches and make the parking safer. Needs £40,000.
• A back stretch / back exercise wall in Phear Park with exercises listed along its length, this would be free to use. This would help people of all ages to straighten and strengthen their backs and necks. Needs £5,000.
• A free to use concrete track with bumps and small slopes for wheeled sports such as BMX, skate boards and scooters in Carter Avenue Park. This would be free to use. Needs £60,000.

Cllr Paul Millar, East Devon’s portfolio holder for democracy and transparency said: “Rather than wait until physical voting can take place again, I am delighted that with the support of council staff, a way of having the Exmouth community voting remotely has been identified and created. As the council plans for a future post-covid, the quality of council-owned outdoor spaces have never been more important. I urge everybody who receive a letter take the time to read through the project proposals and vote on which projects will ultimately get the go ahead.”

Chairman of the Exmouth Town Council Section 106 / community infrastructure levy working party, Cllr Fred Caygill, said: “The current situation with the pandemic certainly highlights the importance of health and wellbeing and how keeping ourselves fit and active at all ages also plays a part in helping with our Mental Wellbeing.  I look forward to seeing the projects that are chosen to receive funding come to fruition and providing opportunities for activities at all levels.”

Cllr Geoff Jung, East Devon’s portfolio holder for coast, country and environment, said: “This is a fantastic amount of money to spend in Exmouth on some much needed sports improvements. We would usually do the voting face to face at large events, but in these current difficult times that isn’t possible and isn’t likely to be possible for some time to come. This way of doing an online vote ensures that only people that live in Exmouth can vote, and that people can’t vote multiple times. This means the vote is more meaningful and representative.”