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29/06/2008, 10:12 AM Burbs Joined on 29/06/2008 Posts 1 Exmouth Queens Drive to be shut? The proposal announced by Devon County Council to close Queens Drive Exmouth from Foxholes car park to Orcombe Point from 7am to 7pm for the summer months is a poorly thought out idea in the extreme. To have, what is for many, one of prime attractions of coming to Exmouth beach, closed for 12 hours a day, 7 months of the year, will undoubtedly cost the town much needed revenue, and devastate many users of the sea front and beach. The stretch of road to Orcombe point, is fairly unique in Devon, in that you are able to park up, and relax to enjoy the view over the beach and sea, or just hop straight onto the beach without having to walk for miles carrying all the stuff you want for a day on the beach. The thousands of people that enjoy this stretch of the beach and it's wonderfully unique and convenient  parking are to be penalised for a small minority of thoughtless 'boy racers' who speed up and down the sea front. How many visitors will not bother coming back to Exmouth, or Sandy Bay, when they realise that they can no longer park next to the beach? Elderly, disabled, dog walkers & families with children all delight in being able to park and admire the view and get onto the beach with out having to walk miles carrying beach equipment, and pushing pushchairs. Elderly and disabled people can take a short stroll from their cars and back again. Dog walkers would have to walk a good half mile just to get to the stretch of beach where they are allowed to exercise their dogs. Horse owners would not be able to take their horses onto the beach easily, which I love to see, and users of jet skis, canoes and other water craft would have problems accessing the beach. All general users of the beach would be denied easy access to this unique part of Exmouth seafront, due to the actions of a small minority. I often meet up family and friends on Queens Drive, with many of them coming from all over Devon and Somerset to make use of this lovely part of the sea front, and then to visit the town centre to shop or eat and drink. I often park up to enjoy the view on Queens Drive in my camper van, and I speak to many visitors to the area who all think that Exmouth and its beach is a wonderful place to visit. They would not be so keen to come back if these draconian measures are enforced, with the resulting loss of revenue to many businesses in the town, and revenue from parking. In the summer months parking is very difficult at the best of times. If cars were unable to access Queens Drive, parking would become nearly impossible, deterring even more law abiding citizens from visiting the beach and town, and causing even worse traffic snarl ups along the sea front, which would not improve anyone’s safety. I am furious that, as a resident, I will not be able to use one of the areas of the town that I use on a very regular basis. I pay a huge amount for my Council Tax, of which a large amount goes to fund the Policing of the area, and I expect the Police and Devon County Council to manage the problem of boy racers without penalising me and all other Exmothians by creating a 'no-go' area. The problem of these speeding cars has improved somewhat since the introduction of the speed humps, chicanes and narrowed points in the road. Surely more traffic calming measures, such as a 20mph speed limit and speed cameras would be more practical and effective than closing off a huge area of the sea front to all users? Queens Drive has been enjoyed by generations of residents and visitors alike for many, many years, it is part of Exmouth’s history and attraction, to close it to vehicular traffic would be a disaster for the town, to residents and visitors alike. I implore the Police and Devon County Council to reject this unworkable proposal, and seek alternative measures for everyone’s sake.      Report

30/06/2008, 11:03 AM Graham Joined on 18/06/2008 Exmouth Posts 4 Re: Exmouth Queens Drive to be shut? Well Burbs, I do agree with you in principle but haven't you got your am's and pm's mixed up? I thought Queens drive was to be closed in the evening? I particularly agree with the use of unmarked Police cars. Why ever not for goodness sake, they are used on motorways, covert capture cars are even used in car parks, so why not use them to catch and then proscute these pests who use Exmouth sea front as a race track. Graham Seymour    Report

26/06/2009, 11:28 AM kayleigh - girl racer! Joined on 26/06/2009 exmouth Posts 4 Re: Exmouth Queens Drive to be shut? UM excuse me GRAHAM! WE ARE NOT PESTS!  there is nothing wrong with a group of people at the end of a beach sat in there cars talking!!!! would u rather that or we all go drinking, commit vandalism, and cause a major desturbance throught alcohol related crimes!!! at least now we are all out of the way.so people like yourself can walk the streets safely. we are not actually doing anything wrong! so maybe you should think about what it would be like if we all spend are time in pubs being noisey untill god knows what time every evening (or morning) so please dont write offencive comment because for now we arnt doing anything wrong! thankyou k x     Report

29/06/2009, 12:25 PM fibresand Joined on 07/05/2009 Posts 72 Re: Exmouth Queens Drive to be shut? Great forum user name for one so sweet and innocent !-----------I love the assumption ,( and probably true ), that if you could not " sit in your cars talking ",  the alternative for society would be for you " to commit vandalism, and cause major disturbance through alcohol related crimes "--------------and yes, aren't we all lucky that you allow " people like us to walk the streets safely "---------thanks !    Report

29/06/2009, 1:52 PM Mike Fairclough Joined on 18/04/2008 Posts 112 Re: Exmouth Queens Drive to be shut? ....you did notice that the original was posted June 2008 not June 2009 didn't you ? Kayleigh's response is already 12 months out of date ( although fair comment!!)    Report

29/06/2009, 10:49 PM Ian Woolger Joined on 09/09/2008 Budleigh Salterton Posts 185 Re: Exmouth Queens Drive to be shut? As usual, the law abiding motorists, who just like an evening drive, or somewhere to scoff their chips with a view, are going to be penalised, due to the inability of the Police force to "enforce". But, as reported in the press yesterday, the government is forcing the Police to make swingeing budgetary cuts, over and above the savings already pencilled in. With predicted increases in burglary, public order and other crimes as the true cost of Labours botched running of the country causes more heartache and job losses. I think we will see far more seemingly little things such as this closure, all over the country. To cut down on Policing costs, the cheapest option is to remove public access to the problem area and thus indirectly move the criminals on! Which is a great shame and a loss of liberty for those well behaved members of the public who cause no trouble... It is criminal to steal a purse, daring to steal a fortune, a mark of greatness to steal a crown. The blame diminishes as the guilt increases    Report

01/07/2009, 9:26 AM Mike Fairclough Joined on 18/04/2008 Posts 112 Re: Exmouth Queens Drive to be shut? COUNTY highway chiefs say they are not going to close a stretch of Queen's Drive, from Foxholes car park to Orcombe Point, over the summer. Bloggers on the Exmouth Journal web forum this week had been busy speculating that a summer ban to stop speeding motorists - first mooted first mooted several years ago - was going to be put into affect. A spokesperson for Devon County Council said: "There is no truth to this. There are no proposals to close Queens Drive.    Report

01/07/2009, 11:13 AM Ian Woolger Joined on 09/09/2008 Budleigh Salterton Posts 185 Re: Exmouth Queens Drive to be shut? Good News at least! It is criminal to steal a purse, daring to steal a fortune, a mark of greatness to steal a crown. The blame diminishes as the guilt increases    Report

01/07/2009, 2:28 PM Mike Fairclough Joined on 18/04/2008 Posts 112 Re: Exmouth Queens Drive to be shut? but Ian, it isn't news! This forum was picked up by Kayleigh 12 months after it was news!! ...and a DCC spokesman has had to unnecessarily respond to a rumour which has been stoked up because the date of the original posting wasn't spotted!    Report

09/07/2009, 8:53 AM inquiringmind Joined on 29/05/2009 Posts 23 Re: Exmouth Queens Drive to be shut? I replied to the 'kayleigh - girl racer' post a little while ago - but it somehow disappeared into the ether!  So here I go again: Kayleigh - no matter what you believe, the actions of the boy (and girl) racers is frequently unacceptable to visitors and residents alike, and can often be construed as intimidating.  Gathering in groups, the foul language often heard, the dumping of KFC waste next to the cars, the 'time-trials' between the chicanes, the loud 'boom-boom' music - all encountered by me just last night.  I know you are not alone in this, as others also do those things - but you are more noticeable.  You are not unique and blazing a trail, however - people of your age group have (certainly since my youth!) shown off in their cars and gathered to compare them - we had respect for the community, however, and didn't throw our rubbish around, loudly swear in public, or attempt to burst the ear-drums of passers-by with our music.  You need to clean up your act. Having said all that, there are those of you who obviously spend a great deal of time, money and effort on your cars - some of which are extremely smart and I enjoy looking at them (there are also some heaps around!!).  Have you considered forming a club (I know, sounds sad!) and organise regular officially sponsored rallies on the sea-front - and become part of the community? BTW - how many of you actually pay to park on the sea-front?    Report

09/07/2009, 1:12 PM inquiringmind Joined on 29/05/2009 Posts 23 Re: Exmouth Queens Drive to be shut? Forgot to mention - one of these 'non-pest' boy racers cut me up yesterday whilst I was driving, and he thought it was hilarious.  His brain-power is such that he couldn't work out how to put his seat belt on.    Report

23/07/2009, 1:11 PM inquiringmind Joined on 29/05/2009 Posts 23 Re: Exmouth Queens Drive to be shut? Hello!!? Hello!!? Anyone there......??? Come on, Kayleigh - I thought my postings may have elicited a response.    Report

15/08/2009, 2:50 PM Heavitree Joined on 11/08/2009 Posts 7 Re: Exmouth Queens Drive to be shut? I think Kayleigh is too busy learning how to spell to bother replying to any of these posts!!      Report

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