A BUSINESSMAN who hopes to take on the tourist information centre in Richmond has defended his plans to create an outdoor seating area in the town’s memorial gardens.

Barry Proctor, who is known for his ice cream stands and vans, has submitted plans to change part of the existing tourist information building into a cafe, which he will run in conjunction with tourist services.

Mr Proctor’s plans have run into opposition from some residents in Richmond who are against his proposal to create a small outdoor seating area in the adjacent Friary Memorial Gardens.

A petition against the proposal has already collected 400 signatures .

Mr Proctor was chosen as the preferred choice to run a new tourist information point (TIP) at the site by Richmondshire District Council after it cut tourist information provision from its budget.

His plans for the TIC were officially received by the council on Monday and will could go before the planning committee on June 1, after consultation with interested parties.

Mr Proctor said he was disappointed by claims made in election campaign leaflets that the new cafe would be a fast food eatery.

He said: "I didn’t want the TIC to close and I saw a way of keeping it open and that was to take it on myself.

"The plan is to put a small amount of seating in the Friary Gardens, which will take up a tiny percentage of the area.

"The whole idea is to create is to create a small, but discreet, upmarket tea room next to the TIP where locals and tourists can come and sit and enjoy the view of the gardens.

"I’m quite aware that its a delicate area and it’s grade one listed.

"The leaflets that went around the town during the election said it will be fast food, which is crazy. I’m imagine it to have fine china and certainly no chips or burgers.

"It’s disappointing that we are getting a lot of flack about the proposal because I feel that some people who are complaining have not seen the plans and have not discussed it with me.

"They are complaining without really knowing what is going on."

The campaign against any changes being made to the Friary Gardens has been led by Coun Stuart Parsons, the local ward member.

He said: "I campaigned against the plans during the election and I am really upset by it.

"The land is a memorial garden and it is the one place left in the town where you can go and sit quietly and watch the world go by.

"The petition has 400 signatures already and I’m sure there are more to come. We’ve had a lot of people come up to us and say how totally against it they are."