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ACT NOW to have your say on parking at Meadfoot UPDATED
There is a move to close all the lay-bys at Meadfoot with big concrete blocks and put a few metered parking bays parallel to the road. This is supposedly to deal with a perceived nuisance from a few vans that sometimes park there and 'overnight'.
Here's a bit more local info for context.https://www.torbayweekly.co.uk/news/home/1770234/nick-bye-meadfoot-beach-parking-plans-trigger-robust-conversations.html
This will kill the convenience of Meadfoot for paddling. The car park at the end of the road has a height restriction. Nearby Beacon Quay parking, which might give water access via the harbour, also has a height restriction. The Meadfoot slip way has been allowed to fall into disrepair and can't be used. The only access to this important beach, which the bay shelters from predominantly SW swell, is via the steps and the parking near them.
I was there today shortly after 1pm. There were at least 30 cars using the laybys. Many had roof bars for carrying boats. The South Devon Peer Paddling group was there, and a commercial kayak tour operator too. There were also stand up paddle boarders. This was on a Tuesday.
It's a busy road and users, whether kayaking or SUPing, need space to unload their watersports gear. Parallel parking bays will push this unloading either into the road, where the paddlers will be at risk, or onto the pavement, blocking it for others.
In the couple of years I've been paddling there almost every week with James Allen I have never encountered any trouble or bother from the few vans. They tend to park in behind the lamp posts, and get blocked into places where people just there briefly don't want to park anyway.
This feels like a huge hit to put on all recreational users just because a few people are disgruntled about two or three vans. It's not just another paywall between people and their coastal recreation, it's a removal of the resource too, because there won't be room for the same number of parallel bays, and even if there were, they would be spread far from the steps.
If you have views on this proposal, please send an email titled "MEADFOOT SEA ROAD PARKING CONSULTATION" to highways@torbay.gov.uk
Alternatively: written responses may be sent to:
Torbay Council Highways, Town Hall, Torquay, TQ1 3D4
All responses to be received by by close of play 17th April 2025.
As you can probably guess, I'll write and use some of the above in my comments.
Maggie
Here's a bit more local info for context.https://www.torbayweekly.co.uk/news/home/1770234/nick-bye-meadfoot-beach-parking-plans-trigger-robust-conversations.html
This will kill the convenience of Meadfoot for paddling. The car park at the end of the road has a height restriction. Nearby Beacon Quay parking, which might give water access via the harbour, also has a height restriction. The Meadfoot slip way has been allowed to fall into disrepair and can't be used. The only access to this important beach, which the bay shelters from predominantly SW swell, is via the steps and the parking near them.
I was there today shortly after 1pm. There were at least 30 cars using the laybys. Many had roof bars for carrying boats. The South Devon Peer Paddling group was there, and a commercial kayak tour operator too. There were also stand up paddle boarders. This was on a Tuesday.
It's a busy road and users, whether kayaking or SUPing, need space to unload their watersports gear. Parallel parking bays will push this unloading either into the road, where the paddlers will be at risk, or onto the pavement, blocking it for others.
In the couple of years I've been paddling there almost every week with James Allen I have never encountered any trouble or bother from the few vans. They tend to park in behind the lamp posts, and get blocked into places where people just there briefly don't want to park anyway.
This feels like a huge hit to put on all recreational users just because a few people are disgruntled about two or three vans. It's not just another paywall between people and their coastal recreation, it's a removal of the resource too, because there won't be room for the same number of parallel bays, and even if there were, they would be spread far from the steps.
If you have views on this proposal, please send an email titled "MEADFOOT SEA ROAD PARKING CONSULTATION" to highways@torbay.gov.uk
Alternatively: written responses may be sent to:
Torbay Council Highways, Town Hall, Torquay, TQ1 3D4
All responses to be received by by close of play 17th April 2025.
As you can probably guess, I'll write and use some of the above in my comments.
Maggie
Comments
can you put this on the Exeter canoe club page as I think that will reach more people?
Will do it now.
yes thank you so much!