'Weymouth harbour deserves quality not cheap railings'

So it’s all done and dusted then.

The all-powerful Conservative portfolio holder for Highways, Travel and Environment (Dorset Councillor Ray Bryan, whose constituency is the distant St Leonard’s and St Ives) has all but decided that the temporary railings at Custom House Quay will remain as a permanent reminder of how not to enhance our picturesque harbour. Boris Johnson will be so proud that local government is learning from national government how to do U-turns!

I really cannot get my head around the fact that the aforementioned councillor (whose constituency is so much closer to Bournemouth and Poole than Weymouth) appears to have the single-handed power to inflict on us what he feels is correct.

It is of great concern that our own Weymouth Town Council councillors are not aware of developments that, seemingly, are being discussed and decided by Mr Bryan.

And his quotes in the Echo that (1) “it is my view that the current railings work well…..” and (2) “full consideration has been given…….” suggest quite clearly that our invited views by October 31 are no more than a throw-away comment.

I can’t decide whether the U-turn is cost or safety. Cost shouldn’t be a factor and ought to have been considered when the original intention was ultimately to replace the cheap and unattractive temporary railings; surely Dorset Council would have set aside the £100k ready for the permanent replacements?

I am dubious about the safety aspect, especially when learning that two incidents were reported since the barriers were erected, one each side of the harbour.

Three people fell in where the railings are, while two people jumped in on the other side where there are no railings.

I wonder how often Mr Bryan visits Weymouth harbour but he may be enlightened to learn that the large majority of crabbing actually takes place on the un-railed side of the harbour - where there isn’t even half a wall’s height; so potentially a much greater health and safety risk that appears to have gone unnoticed.

Oops! Maybe that’s a can of worms I’ve opened. But what I do urge is that Weymouth’s ultrapopular harbour is a treasure in which we must invest quality as opposed to cheap and nasty ironware.

If the final decision is to retain a protective safety barrier, spend the £100k and let’s get the job done properly and professionally.

Besides this letter I shall, of course, also share my views by October 31 to: dorsethighwaysbsu@ dorsetcouncil.co.uk - I trust other readers will too, whatever their views.

DAVE JOHNSTON

Newberry Road, Weymouth