THE REVAMP proposed for Weymouth train station forecourt could lead to the site becoming a "drug dealers' den" for county lines dealers arriving in the town, councillors fear.

At Weymouth Town Council's Planning and Licensing Committee meeting on Tuesday night councillors called the proposals 'underwhelming', 'lacking in ambition', and without proper public transport links.

As reported, the proposed station gateway scheme is a joint project between Dorset Council and South Western Railway to improve access and make the area more inviting.

The proposals are for a reconfiguration of the station forecourt including alteration to access and parking arrangements, creation of a new exit for vehicles onto King Street, and public realm works including a controversial 'pocket park' linking King Street and Jubilee Retail Park.

Last time the proposals were considered by the town council, the Planning Committee had serious misgivings about additional traffic being rerouted onto King Street - and this week's meeting saw further concerns being raised.

A statement submitted by councillor Jon Orrell - who was part of the original group that worked on the proposal - criticised plans for cutting down trees to accommodate the changes, and said a 'golden opportunity' for creating a public transport hub had been missed. "This is a very poor design that ignores the situation with it being a hotspot for drug dealing and street drinking," he added.

Dorset Echo: The area is already a known ASB hotspot The area is already a known ASB hotspot

Councillor Graham Lambert is "offended" by the claim it would be a hub for sustainable transport links, saying: "There is space for only one First Wessex bus - or two during the summer," he said. "My fear is that if this goes ahead it will close off the possibility of grants to create a genuine public transport hub in the future."

Citing the recent damning report on climate change published on Monday by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that revealed irreversible damage to the planet, warning of worsening global warning and forest fires, he added: "Weymouth needs to embrace the necessary changes to reduce emissions - I am absolutely opposed to this proposal."

"Last time we considered this we were all extremely underwhelmed," councillor Kevin Brookes said.

"Totally underwhelmed," councillor Christine James agreed. "The proposal to create a new exit onto King Street would bring even more traffic onto an already congested street - and it's not even a local bus route that is to call there - I am completely against it - if we do this it will rule out potential for a proper bus rail interchange in the future."

"I have never liked this 'pocket park' idea," said councillor Richard Nickinson. "I think it will end up being a drug dealers' den for county lines people coming in off the train; it will become full of rubbish. It isn't a proper park - I think it's just horrible. I'd rather leave things as they are until someone can come up with something far more ambitious."

The committee voted unanimously to object to the proposal - however the final say rests with Planning authority Dorset Council.