The whole thing was ostensibly about the gates. True, the local council does have a reputation for digging its heels in and opposing practically everything - it's why we never had a pub here until recently - but then where does it say that development is necessarily a good thing? As the curious woman in the curios shop said, there's a pier at Clacton and one at Walton (and plenty of pubs!) - people come here precisely because we don't have things like that. We don't have ice-cream and sweet shops along the seafront, for which many a weary parent is very grateful!