MATCH funding of £3.5 million for redevelopment in Weymouth has been approved by Dorset Council’s Cabinet.

The town has been promised almost £19.5 million by the Government from ‘levelling up’ funding – mainly for the Peninsula and North Quay sites.

Around £4m of the money had been earmarked for the New Bond Street/Commercial Road area although Dorset Council is now seeking to switch this element of Government funding to the former Weymouth Bowl site, which is likely to be redeveloped with housing.

The move comes after the leasehold of council-owned Commercial Road car park and adjoining Cineworld and TK Maxx sites were sold to an investor.

Radipole councillor David Gray called on the council to look for long-term prosperity from the funding money rather than short-term gains: “What we need is a vision,” he said.

Cllr Mark Roberts, who chairs the council’s harbours advisory board, said he was pleased than much of the investment would build on the importance of the harbour as an asset to Weymouth with the redevelopment of the former borough council offices at North Quay and the Peninsula site.

The council was told in January 2023 that the Government intended to award the full bid of £19.47 million with Dorset Council required to make a £3.5 million contribution, included in a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government, agreed in March.

Said a council report: “The council submission offered a series of outputs that would be realised through the successful delivery of the project. These outputs included upgraded or repaired harbour walls, enhanced public realm works, all with a view to enabling the delivery of 7,818 metres squared of leisure-led commercial development with 374 market and affordable homes. The council has committed to delivering these outputs in the memorandum.”

The current allocation of funding from the Government grant is £11.35m to the Peninsula scheme; £4.12m to North Quay and £4m for the New Bond Street/Commercial Road area although the council is now seeking to transfer this to the Weymouth Bowl site redevelopment after a change in the leasehold of council-owned sites in the area earlier in the year. These including the Commercial Road car park, TK Maxx and the adjoining Cineworld building.

A council report had concluded that, even with the levelling up grant, redeveloping the area was not likely to be commercially viable.

A report to Cabinet said: “Discussions have been held with the investor to establish their intentions with regard to the site. These discussions continue but the council has conducted a number of appraisals for the redevelopment of the site which have indicated that redevelopment would not be commercially viable, even with the LUF funding. This may change in future, but it will need reconsideration at a later date.”

* Meanwhile, Cabinet members praised former Littlemoor and Preston councillor Tony Ferrari, who died on November 6, for his work on the Weymouth Waterside Regeneration bid.

Cllr Simon Gibson, portfolio holder for economic growth told the meeting: “I would personally like to thank Cllr Ferrari for all the work he had done in getting the bid to this stage  - I will always be mindful of the work he did on behalf of Weymouth, a town he served so well.”

Cllr Andrew Parry, who took over the assets and property role from Cllr Ferrari, added his voice to the tributes to Cllr Ferrari who collapsed and died while out running.

“Tony did some fantastic work on levelling up,” he said.