JIM PARKER: Rubbish! Nick isn't out to build another Eiffel Tower - he just wants to make harbour gem sparkle

'Be brave and be positive' - that was the plea from Chris Lewis to local planners as they hummed and hawed over a Paignton harbour business and their improvement plans.
He may as well have added a bit about 'bins' because that appears to be the only thing now delaying the owners of the Mollys from investing up to £150,000 in their cafe.
Rubbish or what!
Personally, I have always had a soft spot for Paignton harbour, often describing it as the English Riviera's little gem - but a hidden little gem.
It has always had massive potential but has always been under-promoted by the powers-that-be with little or no signage tempting people from the main promenade to walk through the harbour archway and enjoy the pleasures of what is now beyond. And don't get me started on the grotty car park above.
Nick Bright, from the well-known fishing family associated with Paignton harbour for over 40 years, is in his fourth season at Mollys which he bought from previous owner Colin Clarke who ran it as Molly Molones for 20 years
Nick has played a major part in putting Paignton harbour on the map - and Colin still works there!
Mollys and the St Austell Brewery Harbour Light pub/restaurant next door have been the catalyst for making that little gem sparkle.
The TJs eatery has been there for a while and is well-established, but other businesses have moved in as well. And, of course, you have the Paignton Sailing Club and their harbour base.
The planning committee councillors stopped short of approving the major revamp of Mollys after concerns over that rubbish and where it would be stored.
The plan entailed building a new roof canopy with solar panels, glazing and decking, plus a new loo.
Cllr Lewis, whose portfolio includes tourism, urged the committee to get behind the project.
He told the councillors (his description rang bells): "Mollys has helped transform what used to be called Paignton’s hidden little gem. Now Paignton harbour is thriving. It’s still a little gem, but it is no longer hidden. The harbour is now a destination that it wasn’t before, and that is in no small part due to the presence of Mollys.
"I believe that Paignton is on the up, and a big part of that is due to the change in our little gem – Paignton harbour. Be brave, be positive, vote for approval and put confidence in what has happened at the harbour.”
But council officers recommended the application be turned down. Their report to the committee said the new canopy would have an ‘overbearing impact’ on the South West Coast Path, which passes nearby - in fact it's the harbour archway!
Adam Billings said the proposal was ‘not the best,’ but the harm did not outweigh the benefits and Nick Pentney said the application was ‘far from perfect.’
Anna Tolchard wanted a permanent canopy rather than the current temporary one. But Cllr Pentney said the application should be rejected so that the owners could come back with something that answered the committee’s questions
Chairman Jackie Thomas had to use her casting vote to defeat that proposal after the vote was tied. In the end the committee backed Cllr Tolchard’s proposal to defer a decision for more information on those bins!
Nick has been in discussions with the harbour master and they have come up with a possible compound solution to the bins which will be presented to planners.
He says: "You can now look across the harbour and see it has become a destination where you can go for the whole evening. That is what really excited us.
"We want to take the parasols down and create solid roof with glass windows and a door that can be slid back. We wanted to make it more weather tight and secure.
"There is no increase in the footprint at all. Some of the councillors did not get the application. They thought we want to build the Eiffel Tower."
You can see why some despair with the planning system. In this case, there is no desire to rip Paignton harbour to pieces and build a 12-storey block of flats with a water park and amusement arcade. This is about about a small business that wants to grow and invest in the area, invest in the English Riviera. There should be as much encouragement as possible.
Going back to that horrible car park, Nick says he would love to build a cocktail bar with sun terrace up there. Now that would be brave.
Get those blooming bins sorted out first, Nick!