Appledore slipway ban for personal watercraft

The launching of personal watercraft from the main slipway in a Devon resort is to be banned due to safety concerns.

Torridge District Councillors have voted to install bollards on the Churchfields slipway in Appledore.

Councillors said "someone was going to be injured or lose their life" if the "chaos" was not tackled after "an increase in anti-social jet ski activity on the estuary through 2020".

The bollards will mean the watercraft are unable to launch there.

Cllr Len Ford Ford said: "This needs to be addressed as someone is going to end up injured or with a loss of life, as at the moment it is chaos.

"Mixing motor and speed with swimmers, canoeists, sailboats, paddle boarders, anglers and children crabbing and quay jumping is a recipe for disaster."

A report to the committee said access to the water was a draw for holiday makers, the LDRS reported, but there was "undoubtedly an increase in anti-social jet ski activity on the estuary through 2020".

The ban could be place this Easter if the full council agrees.

Sean Kearney, Head of Communities and Place, in his report to the committee, said that Torridge District Council has no power or means of controlling the conduct of jet ski riders on the Estuary other than through advice and education.

Mr Kearney said: " Banning use of the slipways will not mean that the estuary cannot be used by jet skiers and they will be free to use the estuary if crafts are launched from alternative places."

No timescale for when the ban would come into force was mentioned, but Cllr Ford's original notice of motion had said from Easter 2021.

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