Exe estuary takeover plan sparks fears of new charges

Plans for a council to take over the running of a major estuary in Devon are facing opposition from water users concerned at the possibility of new charges being imposed.

Exeter City Council wants to use a harbour revision order (HRO) to take charge of the Exe estuary, which runs from Exeter Quay down to the coast at Dawlish and Exmouth.

The council said the by-laws which currently governed the area were not fit for purpose and it wanted to make the whole of the estuary area as “safe and sustainable” as possible.

However, sailing clubs, a stand-up paddleboard group and the local MP said they were concerned about what the council might do with new powers, adding more information was needed.

There are no harbour charges for using the Exe estuary and the Exeter canal for recreational purposes at the moment, with the council charging mooring fees for visiting yachts and for some boat storage.

Ian Garcia is the commodore at Topsham Sailing Club which has been running for 140 years.

He said the main concern for him and his members was the lack of any business plan, which is not required for the HRO.

He said: “That has meant our members don’t really understand what the true impact will be from the fines or the licences or the charges that are required.

“There could be significant charges – this river is unique in that we have no commercial traffic and we’ve got a canal that costs a lot in maintenance to keep going.”

The city council previously tried to introduce an HRO in 2008 but those plans floundered and were ditched in 2014.

The council then set up the Exeter Harbour Board in September 2021 to look after the river and canal and ensure its compliance with the Port Marine Safety Code.

According to Exeter City Council’s statement of accounts, the net cost of running the harbour was £300,000 in 2024-25.

The Labour-run council carried out a consultation on the HRO, which closed on 23 November, but critics said there had been a shortage of comprehensible information about what changes would be made.

David Reed is the Conservative MP for Exmouth and Exeter East, which covers the area on the eastern side of the estuary.

He said: “The biggest problem for me and my constituents is that this has been done behind closed doors.”

Reed said there were “safety concerns” and there was a “legitimate debate to have”, but the consultation process had been carried out “in the shadows”.

He said: “There could be charging powers. This administration may not do it, but we have regular election cycles and the next administration might want to monetize the estuary to bring more money into their council coffers.”

Exeter City Council is currently waiting to hear from the government if its bid to become an expanded unitary authority – taking in large parts of the Exe estuary – is successful.

The city council said it could not comment on the concerns being raised as the responses from the consultation were currently being looked at by the Marine Management Organisation which would be deciding on whether or not to grant the HRO.

The city council has, however, put together responses to frequently asked questions, in which it said charges would be “reasonable and justifiable”.

Derek Johnson set up the Exmouth SUP and Paddle group to bring together stand-up paddleboard users and kayakers all around the Exmouth area, including the Exe estuary.

He said the estuary was traditionally used as a training ground for novice paddleboarders and he feared the possible imposition of any charges could make beginners take on more challenging areas of water.

The city council said there were “no plans currently to levy a fee to kayakers or paddle-boarders” but Mr Johnson says it was the use of the word “currently” that he found troubling.

He said: “I think it’s just a money grab. We just want free use of our water.”

He pointed to other areas where an HRO had been introduced, such as Portland in Dorset which now charges kayakers, windsurfers and paddleboarders for use of the harbour.

Mr Johnson said: “All we want is a clear yes or no, and to put it into law that we will not be charged.”