Plans for outdoor expansion at Seaton Jurassic given green light

Expansion plans for for the second phase of one of East Devon's best tourist attraction have been given the go ahead.

Seaton Jurassic, the community-led centre that engages thousands of people with East Devon's unique geological, coastal and marine heritage, opened in 2013.

Phase one of the project sees visitors take the 'short trip' back to the nineteenth century, to share the excitement of the discoveries made by local fossil hunters and geologists as they uncovered the stores of life on Earth.

The original planning application for the Seaton Jurassic project included a larger outdoor area that extended across part of the car park and into the grass area adjacent to the tramline, but was not delivered at the time due to budget constraints.

But the Devon Wildlife Trust are now in a position to progress this part of the project, have prepared proposals for an extension to their outside space, and East Devon District Council's Cabinet on Wednesday night supported the progression of the scheme.

Alison Hayward, project manager for place, assets and commercialisation, told the cabinet the proposals were for a new landscaping and interpretation project focussing on the themes of wildlife, nature and climate change that will form a second phase to Seaton Jurassic.

She said that the new 'Living Seas' zone will offer interpretation and play to highlight the special qualities of the Axe Estuary Marine Conservation Zone and the work of beavers on the River Otter, with 'Living Landscapes' to feature tunnels to resemble setts or burrows.

That would be part of the ticketed Seaton Jurassic experience, but a second area would be free to access by pedestrians directly from the car park.

This element, 'Living with Nature', would run parallel to the tracks of Seaton Tramway from the new gate and fence up to the ditch separating the current picnic area from Sheep's Marsh, would be freely accessible with interpretation and a variety of objects to engage everyone with the importance of Seaton's natural environment, how we live with nature, the challenges of climate change and our disconnect with nature.

"The development of this land would see Seaton be able to offer visitors a day long excursion to the area with a contiguous visit to Seaton Wetlands, Seaton Tramway and Seaton Jurassic and offer the local community a greater area of natural play and engagement as well as additional outdoor space for events and activities," the report said.

It would encourage people to walk into the Seaton Wetlands, or to give those who have visited Seaton Jurassic will have the opportunity to walk through the Wetlands and return via the tram.

A new path will lead visitors from these attractions up towards the northern end of the site, where it is hoped that in the future, an access point will lead across into the Sheep's Marsh site which is a new area of wetlands that is being developed by the Countryside Services Team.

Supporting the plans, Cllr Paul Hayward said that the more people who have the chance to visit the Wetlands, the better.

He added: "The enhanced offering at Seaton Jurassic will bring more people in."

Cllr Marcus Hartnell said that the addition would provide a better link to the wetlands from the town centre.

The Seaton Jurassic scheme is part of a masterplan for a number of linked project interventions, that if delivered would create a circular route between Seaton Jurassic, Seaton Wetlands and Seaton Tramway, which the cabinet had previously backed, and Wednesday's meeting saw them back the delivery of the scheme to enable access in and out of Sheep's Marsh, as well as the Seaton Jurassic expansion plans.