Major changes to the future of Exmouth seafront could be on the cards – with the existing proposals now throw into doubt.

East Devon District Council has confirmed that they will 're-engage with a new consensus' for how best to proceed with the Queen's Drive site.

It follows the formation of a new administration and the coronavirus pandemic having occurred, which the impact of the latter unknown, since the original decision over the seafront was taken back in February.

The current plans to redevelop Exmouth seafront include a high quality waterfront restaurant, an 80 bedroom hotel, as well as an area for play and leisure uses, and back in February, the cabinet agreed to launch a marketing exercise.

But the decision was called-in and the council's scrutiny committee in March agreed that a panel agreeing the selection criteria for marketing it to developers was not properly balanced.

That scrutiny meeting at the start of March sent their recommendation over the panel to full council to debate, before they send their recommendation back to the cabinet for a final decision.

The coronavirus pandemic though has delayed that process, with the next full council meeting scheduled for October 21, with the next cabinet meeting after that on October 28, so no decision over the marketing exercise will be made before then.

But with the Democratic Alliance having taken control of the council in May from the Independent Group, and with the economic impact of COVID-19 yet unknown, it has been confirmed that time will be taken to reflect and review the proposals and ambitions for the Queen's Drive site.

At last Tuesday's cabinet meeting, councillors noted the minutes of the March scrutiny committee meeting, which was held prior to the lockdown, and Cllr Andrew Moulding, leader of the Conservative group, questioned what the status of the Queen's Drive proposals were.

He asked: "I am aware it is being dealt with, but bearing in mind that council don't meet again until October, it will be some time before the panel can meet. I am anxious that progress is made so how can we bring things forward so the panel can start their work?"

Cllr Paul Arnott, leader of the council, said that things had changed since the March scrutiny committee meeting, when it was him who had called-in the decision for further scrutiny.

Mark Williams, the council's chief executive, said that events had subsequently overtaken the scenario that the council was in back in March. He added: "The impact of COVID-19 on commercial property is something we will have to assess, and the intention of the selection panel has been overtaken by events.

"We will have a reset in the early Autumn with an update as to where we are, and then a reflection that in the changed circumstances, what is the best way of going forward."

An East Devon District Council spokesman, when asked to clarify the latest on the phase 3 proposals, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "'The Council now has a new administration. Combined with the economic impact of Covid 19 and our departure from the EU the opportunity will be taken this Autumn to reflect upon the proposals and ambitions for the Queen's Drive area and re-engage with a new consensus for how might be the best way of progressing matters."

The attractions currently on the Queen's Drive space – the replacement for the former Fun Park – only have planning permission to stay on the site until March 2022, with no further extension allowed under planning law unless they were made permanent as two temporary permissions have already been granted.

Phase 1 of the Exmouth seafront project – the realigning of the Queen's Drive road – has been complete, while Phase 2, the watersports centre, is now set to open in the Autumn following delays in the completion phase due to the coronavirus pandemic.