A family-run Exmouth business thought to be doomed under seafront regeneration plans has been given a second stay of execution.
Harbour View Café had been set for eviction at the end of the summer having previously been granted a 12-month reprieve last September.
Now Landowner East Devon District Council (EDDC) has confirmed Harbour View has been granted an extension to stay until September 30, 2019.
The iconic seafront site, in Queen’s Drive, is earmarked for redevelopment in ‘phase three’ of EDDC’s the Exmouth Seafront Regeneration Scheme.
Reacting to the news, Harbour View owner Dawn Hirst told the Journal she was ‘shocked but delighted’ at being allowed to continue for another season adding that it came ‘out of the blue’.
“It was my dad (Bernard Hughes) who told me about it – it was fantastic, it made my day,” said Dawn.
“Just to know with some certainty is nice. This is the longest time we have known we will be continuing here for a long time.
“Going into this summer season knowing that we have two seasons is great.
“It’s the first time in years we have known we have got two seasons left.
“It’s nice to get that extra year because it means the extra investment we have made is worthwhile.
“We have been improving things and this gives us the chance to plan longer term.”
The Harbour View Café site is part of the plot set for redevelopment under phase three of the regeneration scheme.
Earlier this year, independent seaside consultant HemmingwayDesign was appointed by the district council to draw up designs for the redeveloped seafront.
Phase one of the redevelopment project – re-routing of Queen’s Drive – is due to begin later this year.
Planning approval for the phase two watersports centre was granted in May.
A spokesperson for the district council said: “Our seafront regeneration plans continue, the HemingwayDesign engagement and visioning process is ongoing and on that basis, a decision (under delegated powers) has been made to grant a further lease to Harbour View Café for the period 17 September 2018 to 30 September 2019.”
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