Reaction to housing development plans for North Quay council office and bowling alley sites in Weymouth

As reported, yesterday Dorset Council unveiled proposals to demolish and redevelop the two sites, with luxury homes planned for the former Weymouth & Portland Borough Council office site on the marina, and affordable flats at the old bowling alley in St Nicholas Street.

Many have welcomed the plan to sensitively transform the eyesore former WPBC office block, with designs reflecting the heritage of the old High Street - but others have expressed concern about affordable housing.

Meanwhile, Dorset Council has highlighted the need to generate as much income as possible from the scheme, which the authority says will be spent on key projects in Weymouth - including repairing the harbour walls.

The council is also encouraging everyone to have their say by taking part in an informal questionnaire, ahead of an official public consultation which will take place later this year.

Weymouth town councillor Alex Fuhrmann welcomed the North Quay proposals - comparing the office building to "a concrete slab" - and said he will be keeping an eye on the affordable homes situation.

"I was impressed to see the architectural potential and development of St Nicholas Street - along with a solution to the giant concrete slab," he said.

"The items I am most mindful of, will be the allocation of affordable housing, ensuring that developers are firmly held to the agreement (if not more), and that allocation of said housing is considered at both sites, giving local people an opportunity to purchase a range of properties rather than in a single area/block.

"We should not be building these for the developer or council's benefit - firstly it should be for community benefit. I hope this scheme is not met by further hold ups - both (Weymouth and Dorset) councils should work together in delivering a finished project, as we in Weymouth have waited too long in the shadows."

• Read more: Closer look at town centre bowling alley site - will it really be affordable?

The divide between affordable and luxury homes between the two sites rings alarm bells for Weymouth resident Steve Elsworth.

He said: "I agree that the council offices and bowling alley should be redeveloped, and there is a need for more housing - but I am concerned that the planners seem to be saying that rich people can't live with poor people.

"It would be possible to have mixed housing on the council office site.

"Part of the problem, to me, is that Dorset Council focuses on policy but not on communication. 'Affordable housing' is a sugar-tongs phrase: two words are picked up and held at arm's length, because they carry a stigma.

"If they called it 'Living for Locals', there might be a different reaction.

"That question isn't asked, because of the top-down way that Dorset Council consults the public. Consultation is carried out in a way that doesn't engage normal people, through channels that they don't usually use.

"The result will be a development like Poundbury - a twee middle-class estate that excludes local people. But Dorset will be able to say 'we consulted...' because they did. Only they consulted in a way that didn't engage the public."

Dorset councillor Louie O'Leary is in favour of the scheme. "I was one of the two councillors back in 2019 who supported demolition of North Quay," he said.

"After years of it lying dormant costing ratepayers' money, I'm glad to see something is finally being proposed. Some residents may not like this specific scheme but I think most support ending the years of inaction and wasting of taxpayers' money on this site. Hopefully Weymouth can begin to put the North Quay saga behind it."

Dorset Council is underlining a list of positive benefits to the town - including:

• Contribution to economic regeneration for Weymouth

• Housing contribution

• Environmental impact

• Financial benefit for Dorset Council

Weymouth resident, historian Mark Vine, spoke in favour of the plans - but is calling for a full archaeological dig at the historic site.

He said: "Just about anything is better than that monstrosity that our beautiful and precious medieval and Tudor high street was bulldozed into oblivion for. And wouldn't it be nice if the 200 men slaughtered there during the Battle of Weymouth in 1645 had a memorial put there?

"Very many concerned citizens of this borough and beyond, would like to see a full archaeological excavation on that ground, in much the same way as happens in neighbouring Dorchester, a town which have always embraced and used their own history to such great effect.

"It has been said by more than a few, that many of the old High Street buildings were a lot older than thought. Many of them dated back to the Medieval period, a fact born out in the several sets of stone steps which lead from the rear of those buildings up to Chapelhay and which still exist today and have been dated to the 12th century. To put that in perspective, it is the time of Richard the Lionheart."

In response, councillor Tony Ferrari, Dorset Council portfolio holder for Economic Growth, Assets and Property, with special responsibility for Regeneration and Development in Weymouth, said: "Dorset understands only too well the difficulty of local people have finding and buying homes.

"We use the term 'affordable housing' because there are a whole range of possibilities within that. One is 20 per cent below market, but we are also considering shared equity, homes retained by the council and other options.

"We organised the affordable housing the way we did because we can build more affordable housing if we put it on the Bowling Alley site - but the site is still a mixed, affordable and non-affordable, development.

"But all of the concerns of residents are valid. We are trying to strike a balance between economic development, housing, both affordable and not, and how much money Dorset receives.

"We need to contribute £7 million over the next few years to raise and repair Weymouth's harbour walls. Government is giving us £40 million, but Dorset and Weymouth both need to do their share, so we can't simply build affordable housing - we need income to build our walls.

"We want to do what we can by way of housing for local people. We cannot fix Weymouth's housing issues on just two sites - but the scheme already proposes more affordable housing than Dorset's normal policy.

"The reason for this discussion is not that we want to consult - this isn't a consultation - it is a discussion. Consultation will come with a formal plan (when a formal planning application is submitted later this year.)

"If residents want something different, tell us. We won't be able to deliver everything everyone wants - but we are listening."

Dorset Council is now encouraging local residents and businesses to share their views and questions on the proposals, with a closing date of February 28.

The plans and questionnaire are available to view at www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/north-quay

You can also view an online presentation outlining the proposals at youtu.be/pLpQ7CHGyAE