A VICTORIAN café on Weymouth Esplanade is set to remain centre stage when the seafront gets a multi-million pound makeover.

With the area in line for a £6.6 million regeneration, owner of the Tea Cabin Robert Gutteridge has unveiled his plans to bring the establishment up to date while keeping its iconic original features.

Mr Gutteridge plans to maintain the central structure of the current café, which dates back to the 1870s, and add covered seating areas on either side.

He said: "It's seen so many changes along the seafront during its time and this is as good a time as any to bring it up to date.

"We have had a massive amount of people asking what is happening to the Tea Cabin and it would be missed by a lot of people. So we've decided to keep the original structure but with an added year round facility.

"It will still keep the al fresco feel but we are just going the way Weymouth should be going, which is to keep it open any time of the year.

"I don't think any business can survive in the current climate if continues to remain seasonal."

Mr Gutteridge said the Tea Cabin had already been included in plans for the seafront regeneration drawn up by Weymouth and Portland Borough Council.

He has been working with Dorchester based architects John Stark and the Crickmay Partnership to draw up his plans for its future, which will be in keeping with the Jurassic feel' of the Esplanade regeneration.

He said: "This is just my idea of how I can develop my site, we still have a way to go.

"But the Olympics are coming ever closer and I don't think Weymouth and Portland can afford to overlook the potential of the Tea Cabin.

"The Townscape Heritage Initiative officer is well aware of the importance of the building and my desire to enhance it so this will be nothing new to them.

"It's a matter of bringing it to the table and seeing what we can offer in terms of the regeneration."

Mr Gutteridge said it was important not to disregard the historic landmarks of Weymouth.

He added: "You cannot forget the past - Weymouth has done extremely well out of the past and continues to use it. Ours is about the only building on the seafront that's still very true to its original structure."