Alcohol ban proposed for Exmouth's main beaches

An 'alcohol ban' for Exmouth could be extended to cover the town's main beaches if backed by councillors next week.

The existing Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) covers a number of central streets in Exmouth.

It bans consumption of alcohol, urination in public, aggressive requests for money, or intimidatory behaviour, and allows officers to issue fixed penalty notices to those who don't comply.

But the current order doesn't cover Exmouth beach, which has seen incidents over the last year of alcohol-fuelled anti-social behaviour.

With the demand for staycations this summer set to rise, East Devon District Council is expecting to see a likely increased level of alcohol fuelled anti-social behaviour linked to the beach area.

As a result, the council's cabinet, when they meet on Wednesday 12 May, are recommended to carry out public consultation on proposals to vary the existing order to also cover the beach.

At the end of the five week consultation, a further report will come back to the cabinet around whether there is support for and a need for the urgent implementation for the order to be amended to be in place for the summer period 2021.

David Whelan, the council's community safety coordinator, in his report to the meeting, said: "In June 2020 on Exmouth Beach we saw a significant disturbance observed over a weekend exiting from lockdown.

"These issues continued sporadically over that summer with a significant increase in anti-social behaviour and littering linked to the alcohol-fuelled anti-social behaviour. It was felt at the time this was likely to be an isolated occasion/period of time.

"This however reoccurred over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend when the ability for groups to meet was released. Again alcohol-fuelled anti-social behaviour was seen on Exmouth beach with littering, urination and defecation occurring where the use of toilets has been restricted.

"It is considered that during this summer and the demand of the staycation we are likely to see an increased level of alcohol-fuelled anti-social behaviour linked to the beach area."

The proposed changes to the order would also see it cover the beach area from Sandy Bay via Orcombe Point, to past the coastguard look out station, past the Beach Gardens The Esplanade, The Maer, Queens Drive, and also round past the Sailing Club, Camperdown Yard and the Imperial recreation Ground, all the way to the half-moon field.

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