Waterside centre to save sports

The Exe Waterside and Heritage Committee is to apply for lottery funding next month in a bid to save Exmouth's watersports.

The committee, headed by local businessman Alun Sands, wants to create a non-profit making centre dedicated to all watersports from sailing and windsurfing to canoeing and rowing.

The area is currently home to clubs such as the renown Spinnakers Sailing School and the UK's largest diving centre. But says Sands, many clubs are under threat from the redevelopment of the dock area.

To combat this, a £3m Waterside and Heritage Centre is proposed for the seafront. Located on the site of what is currently a council-owned carpark, the centre will act as a base for local clubs and will also include a heritage centre dedicated to the learning and understanding of the river, estuary and seaside. A specialist marine leisure consultant has been commissioned to make applications for lottery funding.