Sidmouth Town Council and East Devon District Council will discuss the plans at meetings in February.

Civic leaders will debate recommendations about Port Royal next month following the completion of the final scoping study.

The report, which has taken more than a year to complete, outlines a number of constraints and potential ideas for redeveloping the site.

Next month, town and district councillors will be asked how they wish to go forward with the outcomes of the study.

Councillor Jeff Turner, of Sidmouth Town Council, said: “In the course of his studies, the independent consultant identified a number of constraints with redevelopment of the site and presented his ideas of a potential development taking the identified constraints and limitations into account.

“Additionally, the public consultation and the surveys conducted for the emerging neighbourhood plan identified very clear public preferences as to what should be retained at Port Royal and what people would like to see in the way of new facilities to boost the tourist attraction of the Sidmouth seafront.

“It’s clear that the Sidmouth public want to see the sailing club and lifeboat station retained but, also wished to see new restaurant and bar/bistro facilities included in the redeveloped site. There was clearly no appetite for a single large multi-storey building. The two councils will now debate the consultant’s report and decide which of its recommendations, if any, to take forward into the next stage.”

Sidmouth Town Council will discuss the study on February 5 and East Devon District Council at its cabinet meeting on February 7. The scoping study and appendices are to be published as part of the council reporting process.