A new tap room and pizza shack have kicked off the reopening of a trendy summer seafront destination.

Dougheyes Pizza and a newly-refurbished bar have both opened at Ramsgate Boating Pool as part of a wider plan to bring a new lease of life to the clifftop site on Royal Esplanade.

Westcliff Restoration Ltd (WRL) is behind the scheme, which includes a café with in-house bakery, pop-up food facilities, a music studio with gig space, and shops for local start-up businesses.

The use of the boating pool will stay the same and remain open for model boating clubs.

One trader already working behind the scenes to get ready for a summer opening is Katy Lassen of beach store Harbour & Tide, which will be on the west side of the boating pool next to the café.

She says they are looking forward to spending a couple of summers there and are excited to be part of the new team breathing new life into the iconic destination.

"With a focus on functional, joyful and sustainable products, we will offer essentials such as towels, blankets, picnic-ware and beach bags alongside soaps and natural beauty products, beach toys, books and gifts," she said.

"We will also offer a selection of sustainable swimwear, made from recycled plastic waste/with sustainable production practices, and other sea swimming accessories.

"As a business we are committed to championing products that are actively good for the planet whether that be reusable, recyclable, plastic-free or made using natural materials.

"We are focused on offering high quality goods that stand the test of time, therefore reducing the need for excess consumption and waste.

"An increasing number of people want to live more in a more sustainable way and are conscious of their impact on the environment, especially in a coastal community."

WRL says it will restore and maintain the buildings of the boating pool to bring a new lease of life to the site, which is owned by Thanet District Council.

"We will provide a creative family-friendly venue with an eclectic mix of quality food, drink and entertainment," the group explains.

"The community will be at the heart of the business. WRL will create a popular destination for locals while creating jobs and opportunities for the next generations of Ramsgate."

WRL is made up of six members, including Ed Curry and Abi Hubbard, who plied their pizza business from the site last year as a pop-up, and Adam Hubbard, who runs the Blean Baker and will be in charge of the bakery.

Set designer Leah Morgan and Simon Trought, who runs a commercial recording studio, will bring their industry experience to the venture, and business expert Tim Hughes is financial director.

The boating pool was built in 1924 as a bandstand with terraces. These were later flooded to create a boating pool and leisure park.

The Ravensgate Arms ran The Ravensgate-on-Sea pop-up bar from the site in previous summers.