REPAIR costs to some Weymouth Harbour walls may force a re-design to reduce the bill.

Estimates for work on two walls have come back much higher than expected although Dorset Council is unable to say by how much because the information is ‘commercially sensitive.’

Flood and coastal erosion risk manager Matthew Penny has revealed that quotes for two walls close to the mouth of the harbour where the former ferry terminal used to be (walls E and 9) have been returned far in excess of the budget set aside.

He says the council’s engineering team will now have to re-evaluate the work and possibly hold further discussions with the contractor to try and bring the cost ‘within the parameters of affordability’.

It is not known at this stage if the unexpected costs could affect plans for the harbourside regeneration or the development of the Peninsula site.

Work to other walls around the harbour is also needed – including wall C off the Nothe Parade where final design work has been completed and contracts drawn up to carry out repairs either side of the slipway. It is hoped that project will start in October.

Also needed is repairs to walls F & G, which face out into the Bay and the beach. A structural report is expected soon to help plan what might need to be done in the longer term although monitoring has so far shown no significant changes.

The harbour walls which are made of metal sheeting are showing greater signs of decay than those made of masonry and reinforced concrete.

Mr Penny said that the majority of the work to wall D, close to the Pavilion, has been completed although contractors will have to come from Norway to finish the painting. They are currently unable to travel to Weymouth because of Covid restrictions. Lighting also needs to be installed at the ferry steps. The majority of the work on that wall, to replace badly weathered metal sheeting, and to strengthen the structure, was completed last year.

Some of the harbour work will be carried out as part of a multi-million pound project to help protect the harbour and Esplanade from being breached by the sea. In simple terms it will involve raising the height of walls around the harbour and repairing weak structures.

Dorset Council’s Cabinet is expected to give its agreement to a business case this week with approval then needed by the full council and from the Environment Agency.

If that process goes as expected further detailed work will follow on the larger overall scheme, along with a stakeholder consultation. If all that proceeds and the necessary permits are granted, work on the first phase could start in the winter of 2024.