Full marks to Paul Nightingale for his proposal for a restaurant/cafe/interpretation centre/seaside shop/toilets at the end of Queens Drive at Orcombe Point.

There used to be a well-used cafe/ice-cream counter there once, but, when the woman who ran it retired, the building was demolished with unseemly haste, not for fear of vandalism, as I recall, but due to the extreme danger from the supposedly unstable cliff above it.

The cliff now appears to have become safe and Orcombe Point desperately needs a replacement cafe.

Mr Nightingale is a well-known, experienced, successful businessman in Exmouth and will quite obviously have considered all the pros and cons of his proposal.

I must say I am intrigued by his “shabby-chic” description.

I presume it must be a summertime only, nine-to-five establishment, as the Exmouth Seafront Masterplan proposes to do away with seafront parking from the Maer to Orcombe Point and I cannot see people dressed in their finery, parking their car by The Maer and walking to the end of an unlit Queens Drive for dinner at the restaurant on a wet or windy winter evening.

Mind you, a hint of the thinking behind this might be seen in the excellent “artist’s impression” of the proposed building which shows a row of cars parked in front of it. But, otherwise, it is an excellent proposal for a much-needed establishment, which also appears to blend in well with its surroundings. I appreciate the statistic of 118 million people visiting the South West in a year, but how many will visit Orcombe from October to February?

But isn’t it a great idea? Wouldn’t it be nice if it came to fruition and was a success.

Come on Exmouth, give Mr Nightingale some support.

Alan A Newman

8 Louisa Place, Exmouth.