Plans for Newbiggin promenade cafe and paddleboard rental made from shipping containers

The proposed premises will have capacity for over 100 people, including its patio seating and roof terrace, and could create up to 20 jobs.

Set to be named Needles Eye Caffé once opened, it will be situated at the west end of the promenade near the recently-opened Milburn Park playground and the iconic rock formation after which it is named.

Co-owner Wayne Rigg said: “I just think Newbiggin has been left behind with stuff like this.

“They have got them all the way up and down the coast, and I think the promenade at Newbiggin has been crying out for something like this.

“All the cafes and the maritime centre are at the east end. Up at the west end of the beach where the promenade meets the sand there is nothing.”

The main body of the cafe will be a 40 ft container, with another smaller container housing bathrooms and a kitchen. Plans suggest the containers will be clad in reclaimed timber.

Wayne will run the venture alongside business partner Gareth Rose, and the plans include a container for paddleboard storage and changing rooms that will be used by Wayne’s existing business Newbiggin Surf Co.

Wayne, 40, said: “I am thinking people will turn up and they will have a coffee before they go out, and when they come back in they will have a drink or a burger.

“I think the two businesses merging like that will compliment each other.”

The cafe plans to serve hot breakfasts as well as high-end pizzas, burgers, and seafood, with ingredients sourced from local suppliers.

Wayne believes the “instagramable” venue can draw younger crowds to Newbiggin.

He said: “If you look at the demographic of Newbiggin, everywhere you go it seems to be older people.

“We are hoping that it is going to bring in a younger population of people into Newbiggin, and that will reflect in the type of food that we are serving, the music that is played, the drinks that are served, and also the rooftop terrace.

“It is going to be something that has not been seen before in Newbiggin.”

Wayne also believes the cafe’s proposed 9am to 9pm summer opening hours and proximity to the beach’s dog-friendly section will make it popular among dog walkers, and he feels the cafe’s broad appeal will be a big boost to the town.

He said: “I have lived on the front for 13 years now, and up until about three or four years ago you would go on the beach on a sunny day and you could count on one hand how many people were on the beach.

“Now it is starting to change. Holidaymakers are coming in and the beach is busy now.

“I think Newbiggin is ready for this business. In the past it was not, but it is now.”

Wayne’s ambitious future plans for the cafe include serving on the beach, renting out parasols, and organising beach cinema nights.

He said: “We have got big plans. There are loads of ideas. There is loads of potential and scope to do all sorts of events there.”

The planning decision has been delegated to council officers, and could come before the end of July.