PLANS have been submitted for a pop-up restaurant in the car park of a Dorset beauty spot.

Clavell Restaurant has applied to Dorset Council for a pop-up facility in the car park of Kimmeridge Bay.

The applicant states the Covid pandemic has led to a “seismic shift” in the hospitality sector which has “stimulated the public’s appetite for all things outdoors”.

A statement submitted with the application said: “There has been a marked increase in visitors to the countryside, with people seeking new experiences.

“Staycations have also been a feature and Dorset has seen an influx in visitors.

“Perhaps understandably, local residents and visitors are less inclined to socialise and dine indoors, so businesses have had to innovate.

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“The applicant is conscious that the level of activity, character and experience of Kimmeridge Bay changes throughout the seasons.

“Many visitors falsely turn up with the expectation that there will be a degree of basic facilities at the Bay, such as a shop or café where they can purchase a bite to eat.

“The result is often disappointment and additional car journeys as visitors rally back and forth to the village and beyond in search of sustenance.

“Opportunities for a permanent restaurant have been explored in the past; but enquiries to Dorset Council did not find favour.

“The applicant has therefore sought to innovate and proposes a seasonal pop-up restaurant, with a light environmental footprint.

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“It would be formed between the mid-April and mid-September to meet latent demand from existing visitors.

“During this period the car parks experience a high-level of patronage and parked cars, vans, and motorhomes become a feature in the landscape throughout the day, albeit the visual impact is quickly lost when on the foreshore.”

The statement said there would be a 12 metre by 15 metre stretch tent, a host point, bench seating for up to 100 covers, four mobile trailers with a “rustic appearance” as well as “mobile luxury toilets”.

Reservations would only be taken in the evenings, and the operator would focus its ingredients on “local prominence”.

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The statement added: “The business is intrinsically linked to the fishing and farming activities that shape the cherished landscape of the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Heritage Coast.

“Not only does the applicant sustain the landscape but also the local community, as a local employer and service provider. The applicant is a responsible custodian who has continued to invest, both emotionally and financially in the area.”