Well, honestly, I think The Strand development plans look really, really awful.

1) Why is the development not in keeping with the lovely Victorian/Georgian buildings that surround it?

2) Why are the taxes we pay being used to create a business that is going to be in direct competition with my caf�, The Book Rest, which pays taxes to the government/council?

3) Since when did the council go into the business of being in competition with the already plentiful number of cafes/businesses in the town?

4) There are lots of empty shops in town. We don’t need another business premises, but do need decent marketing for the town.

This is just another short-term idea from people who really have absolutely no idea of real business in the real world, and think that they will get a quick return from another cafe.

Now, if it was an art gallery for local artists that would really bring in visitors from out of town. But please, not another cafe.

Christian Pilling

18 The Parade, Exmouth.