I’m no businessman, but I must subscribe to Keith Rupp’s (manager of Custom House Cafe – Dorset Echo Monday July 13th) comment that the harbourside pedestrianisation ‘is the best thing this town has done for years.’

A week ago my daughter and I had lunch together on the quay and it was brilliant! Not so much the food but the sheer ambience of sharing tables with other families and individual visitors hard by the picturesque harbour. Whilst not Honfleur, it had the delicious flavour of savouring the Atlantic and Channel coast ports of France.

Those in Weymouth who’ve protested the scheme because of their business interests, should pause for a moment and think of the broader picture for how a seaside town attracts paying visitors. The local economy relies on how many people are attracted to the town, not just to roast on the beaches, but to sip a pint or a glass of wine by the beautiful harbour. As usual the great God Car dominates thinking, but frankly a little imagination in traffic management would transform Weymouth and whilst fishermen too have a right to earning a living in local seas, that should never be at the expense of other harbourside businesses.

I hope that next year the experiment will be repeated and that eventually Weymouth will develop that continental touch as a permanent seasonal feature- good for relaxation, business and jobs.

Richard Denton-White

Mill Lane

Charminster