Councillors are pressing forward with peninsula plans to avoid “slipping into the ways of the past.”

Plans for the Weymouth Peninsula development will be sent before the new unitary authority shadow executive after councillors unanimously voted in favour at a management committee meeting yesterday.

However, members of the public hit back saying more time and consultation was needed before plans moved forward.

The development will be progressed in two phases with the first phase including a 100-bed hotel, a pub/diner with rooms, a small café and harbour developments - with leisure facilities being developed at a later date.

Director of Weymouth Pavilion, Phil Say said: “The management have agreed it is a leisure led regeneration. The first phase has no leisure in it at all my fear is phase two will never be reached.”

“The two hotels that are being proposed are within 30ft of the Pavilion. The building that we operate produces noise at every time of day and night until 1am and the proximately of hotel rooms we may have noise complaints which may impact how we operate the building.”

“I think a rethink on what’s possible is needed - I think it’s redeveloping for redeveloping’s sake, trying to achieve something before the new Dorset council comes into being.”

Jason West of Weyforward said: “No one who’s driving this is talking to the community. Councillors have received 671 emails in the last week asking to think again. On the planning application there are 95 objections and just five in favour. These aren’t good numbers.”

Mr West added Weyforward did not wish to stop the development, but improve it and called for the leadership to “sit down with community and work together to produce the best possible outcome.”

Leader of the council Jeff Cant said the plans had been in gestation for three years and there had been extensive consultations. He said the council had an “appalling record for stalling plans that can benefit the community”.

He added if the council decided to delay, the peninsula would fall into the hands of the new unitary authority who would most likely sell it to a developer for flats.

Cllr Colin Huckle said: “If we don’t have a spade in the garden by the end of March the unitary will take over all the assets and we won’t get any leisure at all.”

Cllr Richard Nickerson said the ‘devil was clearly in the detail’ when it came to getting plans right but councillors needed to support the plan or face “in danger of slipping back into the ways of the past”.

The committee voted to progress the first phase of the development.

Plans will now go before the Shadow Executive Committee before going in front of the full council.

PARKING CONCERNS

Parking on the peninsula development was highlighted as a key issue with calls for multi-storey and underground parking to be considered.

Director of Weymouth Pavilion, Phil Say said the Pavilion car park currently had 511 spaces but this was proposed to drop to 280.

“If the development happens there will be a demand for more parking spaces and you are nearly halving the parking. It’s the major income stream for the council and it seems ludicrous to half your income stream,” he said.

Cllr Ian Bruce, said if the borough wanted to attract all year round tourism, car parking was needed.

He suggested the council rethink the parking plans and considered multiple levels of parking.

Cllr Jon Orrell said he wanted to see a better interchange between rail, bus and cycle provisions in the town so visitors did not necessarily need a car to reach the peninsula.

Cllr Cant said there was a long way to go before plans were finalised.

He added the council needed to strike a delicate balance between parking provision and traffic flow in the town.

“It’s something we need to get right,” he said.