Camera boosts east Devon coastline safety
Above: Construction work in full swing at the Straight Point site.
Courtesy DIO / copyright Graham Nye, National Coastwatch Institution
The camera, which has been installed on a disused MoD Watch Tower, will offer a clear vision of Sandy Bay along the coast from the Straight Point Firing Range to Orcombe Point, allowing NCI watchkeepers a better visual of the area.
Sandy Bay was one of several points not visible to the NCI watchkeepers. With an increase in boat-use and visitor numbers along the coastline, it was important to ensure that the area is visible so that teams can assist the Coastguard where necessary. NCI watchkeepers work seven days a week in support of HM Coastguard (HMCG), who are the first point of contact in the event of a marine incident in the area.
The Straight Point camera cost c. £10,000 and is the last of four to be installed along the coastline. Positioned on the Watch Tower, it was the most difficult to install, with the electrical supply coming from a nearby Troop Shelter which required 140 metres of trenching.
Major (Retd) Rich Carter, the DIO’s Training Safety Officer for Straight Point, said: "We are delighted to have been able to support the NCI with the installation of this camera at Straight Point.
"It fixes the ‘blind spot’ across Sandy Bay and Orcombe Point, enabling the watchkeepers to do their job more effectively, and improves public safety in the area for the local community and visitors.
"The old Watch Tower was no longer required to monitor the Sea Danger Area (SDA) since the ranges were re-configured to face east back in the 1990s. The NCI camera has given the old tower a new purpose, once again standing as a sentry to help keep people safe."
Graham Nye, Training Officer for NCI Exmouth, added: "This area is renowned for cliff falls, and people are often trapped by the incoming tides around Orcombe Point.
"This new camera is of huge benefit, allowing us to assist HMCG with resolving incidents in the area which we were previously unable to do.
"We are grateful for the support that DIO and the local community of Millbrook Village have offered in helping us to get this project off the ground, and seeing it through to completion. It has been a real team effort and we believe that it will help to reduce the number of serious incidents in the area."
The first of the three NCI CCTV cameras was installed on Sideshore, the water sports centre on the Exmouth seafront, the second on the Exe Sailing Club, which covers 85% of the river Exe estuary from the Duck Pond to Topsham and the third covers the whole of Budleigh Salterton bay.
All four cameras operate during watch hours 365 days a year, and watchkeepers are now able to monitor the beaches and inshore waters from the town of Topsham at the head of the Exe estuary, along the coast to the river Otter, east of Budleigh Salterton.
The Straight Point camera is one of several initiatives designed to ensure that the public stay safe and protected. The SDA is closed when live firing takes place and the area is patrolled by a dedicated Range Safety Craft. When open, the SDA may be accessed but there is no access for the public at any time onto Straight Point Range Complex.
The MoD encourages the public to discover the beautiful and varied expanses that they steward and maintain but it is important that the land is only accessed when and where it is safe to do so.
All visitors to MoD land and coastal areas are reminded to:
- Look out for red flags and observe all signs and information.
- Check live firing and training times on GOV.UK before visiting on land and at sea.
- Stick to the permissive range trails and coast path.
- Keep dogs under close control and in sight, and pick up after them. Never touch any military debris (UXO) - report these for safe removal.
People planning to visit the area are urged to make sure they follow the MoD’s guidance to keep themselves and their loved ones safe: Accessing the training estate safely
