Sealife Tower sign finally removed four years after closure

But other signs for long-closed attractions remain in place as councillors question why it's taking so long to get them down.

As previously reported, a sign for the Jurassic Skyline (previously the Sea Life Tower) stayed up near Weymouth Pavilion despite the attraction having closed down in 2019.

The old Sealife Tower sign on Weymouth Peninsula (Image: Tom Lawrence)

The Echo reached out to Dorset Council and Sea Life owners Merlin Entertainments about the obsolete sign and why it remained in place.

Dorset Council has said that it is the responsibility of the attraction to arrange to have the signs removed.

Now only a sign for a construction firm carrying out harbour wall works remains at the location.

Cllr Jon Orrell, Dorset Councillor for Melcombe Regis said: "I'm pleased to see that the old sign has been removed.

"It took a while to sort out responsibilities but it is good to have it done before the tourist season.

"The process was a lot more complicated than you would imagine.

"You would imagine the signs are dealt with by Dorset Council Highways but the council views the responsibility of the signs as being on the behalf of the attraction.

"They pay to put them up so they should pay to put them down.

"We can celebrate the small success that we got there in the end."

Merlin Entertainments said they would look to remove the signs as a "matter of urgency".

In January, Cllr Orrell took matters into his own hands and covered the sign in black tape to cover the words "Sealife Tower".

He said: "I put it on as a temporary measure as I was so frustrated."

The sign was finally taken down in mid-February.

The Sealife Tower Sign on January 6 with black tape covering the words Sealife Tower (Image: Tom Lawrence)

Another brown tourist sign for the Jurassic Skyline remains in place on the A354 Weymouth Relief Road.

A sign to the Jurassic Skyline on the A354 Weymouth Relief Road (Image: Google Street View)

A sign for the Arts Centre in Weymouth town centre (Image: Tom Lawrence)

Elsewhere in Weymouth, signs still remain in place for the long-closed arts centre and bowling alley.

A sign to the bowling alley on Commercial Road (Image: Tom Lawrence)

Cllr Kate Wheller, Mayor of Weymouth said: "I am certainly delighted to see this sign finally removed and look forward very much to other redundant brown signs being dealt with."

Cllr Ray Bryan, Portfolio Holder for Highways, Travel and Environment said: "We regularly review road signage across the Dorset Council area, and we are in the process of programming in the removal of redundant brown signage around the town of Weymouth."

Cllr Orrell added: "I've contacted senior officers after our call to ask for a clear out of all redundant signs in time for Easter."