Details on Weymouth’s North Quay revealed as plans submitted

As reported, Dorset Council plans to demolish the 1960s modernist building, which occupies a prime site opposite the marina.

A new planning application submitted by the council, to itself, seeks full planning permission to demolish the building and replace it with a temporary public parking area for an additional 45 cars, bringing the existing car park to a total of 174 spaces.

The proposal includes filling the footprint void with crushed Portland stone and brick from the building to serve as a base surface for the temporary car park. The top surface of the car park would be tarmac. The levels of this proposed car park would tie into the existing levels of the surrounding car park.

Outline of proposals uploaded to the new planning application (Image: Dorset Council)

Grant money from central Government Levelling Up funding is being used to progress with the demolition plan.

It comes after the council previously unveiled plans for a luxury redevelopment scheme of flats and commercial units – which does not form part of the current planning application.

Instead it is now hoped the demolition would "enable a comprehensive redevelopment scheme to come forward."

Similar demolition plans for the site in 2019 were withdrawn after a majority vote by the council’s own planning committee found the scheme to be unacceptable as it “did not encourage the reuse of existing resources,” and as such was contrary national to planning policy.

The new planning application notes that the demolition would be the first part of a phased approach to enable redevelopment of the site, which continues to be a cost liability to the council since the building was vacated in 2017.

The site being built in 1970 (Image: Geoff Pritchard)

Reports attached to the planning application state the building is becoming unsafe through continued break-ins and vandalism. Although elsewhere in the application it is noted that the damage is primarily focussed to internal finishes and windows, and that the state of disrepair is also due to lack of general maintenance.

The application describes the former Weymouth and Portland Borough Council headquarters as  ‘detrimental’ to the surrounding town centre conservation area, although the building is generally described as still being robust and in solid condition.

The council offices under construction (Image: Stuart Morris)

Reports commissioned by the council also reveal details about the history of the building, dating back to its inception in 1963, and commissioned by award-winning Birmingham-based architect Jackson & Edmunds.

The building is constructed from steel and reinforced concrete clad in Portland stone, designed to look like an ocean liner when viewed from the north.

It was finished and officially opened by Princess Anne in 1971, with a later extension of the third floor added in 1973, designed by the same architects firm.

The current planning application can be viewed online via Dorset Council's planning portal, ref 2023/01846 - public comments can be made until April 29.