PLANS to regenerate the seafront at Greenhill would have seen the creation of 49 brand-new beach huts and a host of other facilities.

Weymouth and Portland Borough Council planned to redevelop the area following concerns about the current state and structural condition of the existing chalets.

Those plans have now been thrown into doubt after the buildings were officially confirmed as Grade II listed buildings.

The council says the new status of the chalets will create problems with planning consent and maintenance requirements that may ward off potential investors.

The original proposals were set out in a council report on the 'preferred future management and redevelopment options at Greenhill'. They included replacing the 31 chalets that are currently in use at beach level with new huts of exactly the same dimensions.

On the upper tier the plan was to have 18 new self-contained chalets of similar size but with substantial sea-facing balconies.

These were to replace the existing 12 chalets on the higher level.

The proposed redevelopment also included a new restaurant or cafeteria to seat up to 100 customers with large outside dining area and a rooftop terrace for public viewing.

The current four hard surface tennis courts currently at Greenhill would have been replaced either with two new courts or one permanent court and a multi-use games area.

There were also plans for a new RNLI lookout tower, a crazy golf facility, a bus lay-by or drop-off point and a small open area for outdoor events.

The work would also have entailed alterations and landscaping of Greenhill Gardens as well as improvements to the toilet facilities.

The report also states that the existing two-tier reinforced structure for the chalet building has been condemned by structural engineers and the upper tier chalets have had to be closed due to deteriorated frames.

The current leases on the chalets, which were built in 1923, are due to expire at the end of March next year.