Appledore slipway ban on personal watercraft overturned

Personal watercraft users can still launch from a seaside town slipway after a U-turn by councillors.

Plans for bollards at Churchfields slipway in Appledore, north Devon, were agreed in February due to safety concerns.

However, the Community and Resources Committee heard the "disproportionate" plans stopped others using the slipway.

It has abandoned the plans, but a report on launching watercraft is due before the council later this year.

Councillor Ken James, leader of the council, told the committee that in the meantime he would be asking officers to improve signage on the slipway, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) reported.

"The way forward is to work with officers to look at the issues around the area," he said.

The move to ban watercraft launches came in February after councillor Len Ford warned of "loss of life".

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

Among those who spoke at the committee meeting on Monday was councillor Dermot McGeough, who raised "grave concerns" that bollards would also prevent RNLI launches.

Councillor David Jones added: "The proposals for bollards would not only stop jet skis but also other craft which use the slipway to launch.

"I think that this is disproportionate and that further consideration needs to be given to how any bollard system would work."

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