A PUBLIC address system on Weymouth seafront is due to be replaced with new equipment - but there are concerns whether enough people will be able to hear it.

Councillors have voted to support the installation of a 'horn system' costing £7,500 - which would involve a cone-shaped speaker set up, and controlled by, the Beach Control Office near the King's Statue.

The current system - installed for the 2012 Olympic Games - uses a range of amplifiers, speakers and radio equipment. Broadcasts are made from the Pavilion, with an engineer required to turn the system on and off for every use.

Dorset Echo: The current PA system is operated from The Pavilion but engineers have to manually operate the speakers from the seafrontThe current PA system is operated from The Pavilion but engineers have to manually operate the speakers from the seafront (Image: Tom Lawrence)

The PA system is used by Weymouth Town Council to add atmosphere by commentary on fireworks nights and at other big events, sometimes alongside additional hired equipment.

Outside of this, the system is only used for providing commentary at a small number of externally organised events and has historically been provided at no charge. 

The town council's environment and services committee considered four options to replace the current PA system.

The options were continuing with the current system, installing a horn system for £7,500, installing a 100V line system with around 90 speakers costing around £100,000, or decommissioning the system without replacing it.

The control of the system will be moved from its current location to the Beach Office, to allow for 'centralised and dynamic control'. Some additional horn speakers may also be fixed to the Beach Office to allow for better sound coverage in the Central Beach area.

The range of the sound system of the horn will vary depending on wind and ambient noise.

Some councillors raised concerns over whether the horn could be heard across the entire beach.

Cllr David Harris said: "How will messages be communicated to Greenhill?

"If there is a crisis happening at one end of the beach, we need to be able to tell people at the other end of the beach if there is a shark coming down the bay."

Cllr Luke Wakeling said: "If we had a million pounds to spend we could have an awesome sound system."

He added: "This is going to provide better coverage in about 100m on either side of the beach office than we currently have.

"It is not going to cover the whole beach, it won't reach the Pavilion or Greenhill.

"This is a solution that will give us better coverage over a small area, it won't be brilliant but it will be better than we have got now."

Cllr David Gray said: "I can't believe I am going to say this, but I don't think we are spending enough money.

"We need to invest in the next ten years, even if it is more expensive."

Councillors voted to replace the existing system with the horn system but officers were also asked to look into the costings for a 100V line system with 90 speakers along the promenade.

A spokesperson for Weymouth Town Council said: “The Environment and Services Committee considered options to replace the current seafront audio system which was installed for the 2012 Olympics. Councillors agreed to install a centralised system broadcasting from the Town Council’s Beach Control Office.

"This system would allow announcements and commentary to be made to the surrounding areas of the beach and the Promenade.”