Michael Stevens, of Lower Contour Road, Kingswear, writes:

Last week you reported that Kingswear Parish Council has set aside £4,000 in next year's precept towards the cost of getting Lighthouse beach in Kingswear reopened to the public.

This is only the second time that public money has been involved, the last being in 2000 when the parish council spent £1,000.

All other costs to date have been paid out of a fighting fund set up by the residents of Kingswear amounting to over £7,000.

Unfortunately that fund has now run out.

Three private individuals recently contributed a further £2,000 in order that the application to register the beach under the Commons Act 2005 could be submitted.

We are awaiting Devon County Council's decision whether to hold a public inquiry and if an inquiry is called then no doubt the parish council will once again appeal to the public for financial support to ensure that Kingswear is properly represented.

I am sure that the public will be equally generous as they were last time.

Past generations have enjoyed the use of the beach as of right for over 150 years and hopefully future generations will also be able to do so.

They will consider that keeping £4,000 in reserve is a small price to pay for such a tremendous local asset.