Moves to shut down a Torquay ‘dogging’ hotspot car park have been delayed amid claims that Torbay Council has over-reacted. The free car park at Watcombe Beach is popular with hikers, runners, dog-walkers – and doggers.

One website dedicated to the pursuit of outdoor public sex proclaims: “Watcombe Beach car park is the top spot for Torquay doggers.”

Torbay Council announced last week that the car park would be closed permanently from the beginning of November after ‘reports of anti-social behaviour’ there. Now, though, the closure has been postponed as a result of an outcry.

Torbay MP Kevin Foster said he had never received any complaints about activities in the car park and believed the closure was an over-reaction. Bay councillor Steve Darling called for more talks and said the closure would make parking problems in the Watcombe area worse.

The closure was first revealed when signs appeared at the car park last week announced that it would be closed permanently from ‘Wednesday 3rd November’. Users took to social media to complain, not least because November 3 is actually a Friday.

Torbay Council confirmed: “Reports of anti-social behaviour at this location have been notified to the council. Therefore the closure of this car park will take place in November. The land has been declared surplus to requirements by the council’s parking service and the future use of the site will now be considered by the council’s Strategic Land Task Group.”

Cllr Darling said he was concerned at the loss of parking spaces in an area which was already under pressure. In a letter to council officers he said: “There is a significant highways issue along nearby Moor Lane where there are three schools. I fear that this closure will only make a bad situation worse. Can you call a halt to this car park closure?”

He added: “Has the council really exhausted every avenue of inquiry before doing this?”

Mr Foster said: “This could be dealt with via an overnight closure or even a winter months closure. Just to shut the car park for the beach without any real consultation is wrong.

“This will have a very real impact. There is little point maintaining the other facilities around Watcombe beach if you are then going to shut off the way of getting there.

“I think the closure was over the top. There has been virtually zero consultation. The delay is welcome because it means we can have a proper discussion about the beach as a whole, and talk about what the real issues are.”

A Torbay Council spokesperson said: “The closure of Watcombe car park has been postponed for now. For information it was identified as surplus to our service requirements when we undertook the Parking Review in 2016. We unfortunately don’t have the resources to monitor a free car park or to operate a night time only closure. Our Strategic Land Task Group will determine what happens next but at this time we do not have a timeline on when this will be discussed.”

August Bank Holiday weekend is looking to be a busy weekend

With all the new locations posted over the last week and the increase in meetings being posted on the forums, it is looking to be a real busy weekend nationwide.

Activity at a number of dogging hotspots across the country is expected to increase during this bank holiday weekend due to the sunny weather.

The warmer evenings are known to bring out more people interested in having sex, and watching others do so, in their cars at night.

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What is dogging, how popular is public sex in the UK

The practice seems to occur up and down the country as randy exhibitionists play out their fantasies in car parks and woodland across the UK. Here’s everything you need to know about the raunchy pastime…

Public sex seems to be something of a national hobby for a great many Brits.

Last year a survey revealed that 43 per cent of Brits admitted to getting it on in a public place.

The study conducted by TV channel Alibi showed that it was in fact the second most common crime, after speeding, people admitted to having committed. 

Where are the UK’s most notorious dogging sites?

Dogging is pretty much nationwide with virtually every county having a site listed in the dogging after dark database. We list the locations as well as maps and directions to make them easy to find for anyone wishing to take part in their local area.

With an Internet presence since 1999, making us pretty much the largest dogging information and contact site on the internet.

By joining and becoming a member of After Dark you gain full access to ALL the locations, maps, Directions, Reviews and lots more!! As well as full access to the “Meet Tonight” section, where meet up’s are posted in advance to arrange to meet up with fellow doggers at a pre-determined location.

Join up and go dogging tonight

New dogging locations listed weekly

Locations listed weekly for the whole of the UK

The dogging forums are updated on a daily basis with locations, member meets, photos, videos and all the information you need to “go dogging tonight”, covering the whole of the UK making them one of the biggest and most comprehensive websites on the Internet since 1999.

Find out where your nearest dogging location is

Over the past two weeks we have added over 200 new dogging locations, many with maps, pictures and directions and featuring posts and reviews from our members on when to go, the best time to visit for dogging action day or night in the UK.

One of the biggest dogging websites on the Internet since 1999, featuring dogging locations, photos, videos, maps and directions and a huge database of UK dogging members with dogging meets and a meet tonight section.

Surrey had the highest amount of known “public sex sites” in the country in September 2016

The number of recorded “dogging” sites in Surrey has dropped dramatically.

In 2013 there were a known 93 locations which were designated by the police as ‘public sex environments ’ (PSEs) in the county, with the largest number in any borough at 16 in Guildford .

This meant the county had one of the highest numbers of “dogging” spots in the country.

The latest figures suggest the “known” PSEs has dramatically reduced – with a total of 39.

Previous figures provided by Surrey Police show that Reigate and Banstead had 13, and Mole Valley and Surrey Heath each had 12.

Of the remaining boroughs, Elmbridge had 10, Epsom and Ewell six, Spelthorne six, Tandridge five and Woking had seven, three in Waverley and three in Runnymede.

Now, Epsom and Ewell has six, Elmbridge and Tandridge only have three, and Spelthorne a mere two.

Mole Valley, Woking Waverley and Runnymede have apparently dropped off the map entirely with none.

Surrey Heath has 10 known sites and Guildford has “10-15”, according to police.

A known and controversial site in Guildford borough is a lay-by by the Hog’s Back Cafe , in the A31 near Puttenham .

The village’s parish council was given a £25,000 grant and control of the land in an attempt to deter the behaviour , which took place in a site that backs onto Puttenham CofE School.

Guildford MP Anne Milton expressed her shock when she visited the site with concerned parents in 2010.

In 2015, Surrey Police increased its presence at another known ‘dogging’ hotspot following reports of assault and antisocial behaviour towards users of the site.

Dog walkers at Ockham Common complained after seeing people using the site.

Other locations listed online include St Anne’s Hill in Chertsey, Horsell Common, Epsom Common, a layby in the A22 in Catherham Hill, Coopers Hill Lane in Egham, and off Lodge Lane in Dorking.

Previously Surrey Police has said the vast majority of known sites in the county are public toilets, where sexual activity is an offence.

The force said that while it is not illegal to engage in sexual activity outdoors , there are a number of offences which could result from this, such as causing alarm and distress to others, outraging public decency or exposure.

Criminal offences under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 include engaging in sexual activity in a public lavatory.

Exposure with intent to cause alarm or distress and voyeurism on people engaged in a private act without their consent are listed in the act as criminal offences.

In the past Surrey Police has said it works to tackle criminals who prey on people meeting in isolated spots to commit robbery or assault against them, and encouraged anyone who had been a victim of a crime to come forward in confidence.

Its now 17 years since the dogging after dark website was launched on the internet and still dogging is proving to be as popular as ever with new locations springing up as quickly as old ones are being closed or shut down.

Dogging in the UK has always appeared to have a huge following and still associated with people who promote and enjoy a swinging lifestyle, although a great deal of swingers will also tell you that dogging is not part of a swingers lifestyle and there is a huge difference between the two activities.

After Dark has listed locations covering the whole of the UK on its website since the late end of 1999, making it one of the most comprehensive and largest dogging websites online, with over 10,000 members and a huge following both in the Swinging and Dogging community. They are also known for their widely popular Social events held at various locations and at regular intervals all over the UK