DAVID SOUTHWICK, of Kingswear, writes:

I refer to Edith Bull's letter Let's have fun, Mr Southwick, Letters, January 20, and I apologise for not responding earlier but I had not seen it until recently.

I have made numerous offers to Kingswear Parish Council to reopen Lighthouse beach upon mutually agreed terms and once my building works have been completed. Regrettably these offers have all been rejected by the council.  

Instead, the council has launched legal proceedings intent on spending many tens of thousands of pounds of council tax payers' money to try to secure, by uncertain means, an amenity for the locals I am already offering to provide when my building works are complete.

It is a fair question to ask why can't Lighthouse beach be opened straightaway. This is where I do believe Mrs Bull is not correct when she says that safety issues on the beach are 'rubbish' and should be ignored. These are real and genuine and need to be resolved to ensure that the locals' safety is not put at risk.

There have been a number of serious landslides over the years at Lighthouse beach.

A major landslide occurred in 1980 when the harbour authority advised that the beach should be closed and subsequently there have been other considerable landslips.

The likelihood remains of further slips and the safety risk must not be under estimated particularly as I would remain legally responsible for any injury caused to visitors to the beach.

If the council stopped its legal action against me and, instead, was prepared to discuss with me ways to ensure Lighthouse beach could be made safe for the Kingswear residents to use, and how appropriate insurance cover could be secured, then hopefully this issue could be resolved.