Plans for new public toilet facilities and a single-storey building at Sideshore Watersports Centre on Exmouth seafront have been refused by East Devon District Council's planning committee.

Five pay-to-use toilets would have been built to the rear within "a discreet extension to the existing bin store" next to the car park area.

A single-storey building would also have been erected on a narrow wedge of land at the western end of the development for use as a flexible office or community hub building.

The plans were refused as councillors, despite being in favour of the toilets, thought that the building would detract from the character of the area.

Cllr Philip Skinner (Conservative, Tale Vale) said: "It's very important that the structure and the types of buildings that we have go on that site are very relevant to the tourism industry that we're trying to encourage in Exmouth.

"We've got the Ocean... on the second floor it's got a meeting room, it's got all sorts of places where people can meet.

"This does nothing for the tourism industry other than the toilets. If there's a toilet provision that's required, we need to look at that as a toilet provision, and not use that as an excuse to have a building on the seafront."