Seafront £6m café quarter plans

An artist's impression of how the café quarter would look

Multi-million pound plans to redevelop a south Wales seaside beauty spot into a modern café quarter have been revealed by a businessman.

The plans would see the Beach Cliff buildings on the seafront in Penarth redeveloped.

Steve Fear, of developers Decourcy Ltd, has submitted his proposals to Vale of Glamorgan council planners.

The company owns Beach Cliff which houses three existing restaurants and plans to renovate the premises.

"The building is in a bad state of disrepair and is badly designed for making restaurants work," said Mr Fear, whose company is redeveloping the town's former public swimming baths as new homes.

It is going to create something really attractive and give Penarth something it deserves Steve Fear, Decourcy

"We plan to create a new café quarter that will be really attractive.

"There would be new restaurants and cafés along the promenade and there would be room for al fresco dining, 40 car parking spaces and we would also build new apartments above the restaurants."

The scheme has been costed at £6m. Mr Fear said: "It is going to be a big job - this isn't just a wash and brush up.

The building would be gutted and rebuilt if the plans go ahead

"It is going to create something really attractive and give Penarth something it deserves.

"The seafront has become tatty and the people I've spoken to want something done to the area."

The plans include building 21 new apartments, a new café quarter with an array of restaurants, cafés and shopping.

The council has not yet set a date for the proposals to be considered, but if approved, work would take 15 months.

Mr Fear said he had already had interest from a number of restaurant chains.

Café owner Simeon Rabaiotti is supporting the plans

Simeon Rabaiotti, who runs the Rabaiotti Café in the building planned for development, said: "It will be good for Penarth, it definitely needs something like this.

"My father opened this café in 1959 but it is time that something was done here - the town needs a really lively cafe quarter and these plans would really revitalise the seafront.

"Virtually all of our customers are pleased with the plans.

"There are one or two people who are worried about where they are going to go for their cup of coffee, but most people are in favour."

If the development went ahead Mr Rabaiotti would be keen to reopen a café in the new building.