Major plans to shape future of Weymouth and Portland

Demolishing buildings in Weymouth town centre to clear a space for development, creating a new transport hub including a rail station at Mount Pleasant and earmarking sites for thousands of new homes are among the proposals.

They form the actions which could help Weymouth and Portland Borough Council meet government targets to provide thousands of new homes and jobs as well as more employment land by 2026.

The council got the ball rolling in 2007 when it asked for views from the public as it began planning for the long term on how it can deliver better housing, employment, sport and recreation, community facilities and services, environment and transport.

Two years on a document has been produced setting out more detailed strategic options to help the borough grow and prosper which will go out to consultation in June and July.

This ‘Options’ document forms the basis of the Core Strategy: Our Community, Your Future – a series of planning policy documents that will eventually replace the Local Plan.

Because many of the potential development sites go over the boundary into West Dorset, it is proposed the borough council will consult alongside West Dorset District Council between June 10 and August 5.

Comments from the public will in turn help councillors decide which options will be taken forward.

Chairman of Weymouth and Portland Borough Council’s management committee Mike Goodman said: “This is a very important document that will shape the future of Weymouth and Portland.

“It examines what will be sensitive issues such as the extension of the town centre, transport and parking, options for development of brownfield and greenfield sites and changes that will increase the number of affordable homes being built.

“It is the result of extensive research and evaluation, but before decisions are made we want to gain the views of residents, businesses and interested groups.”

HOUSING. MORE than 5,000 new homes are set to be built in Weymouth and Portland by 2026 to help meet the borough’s need for housing, jobs and services.

It is envisaged that many of the homes will be built on previously developed land.

At least 700 of the total homes will be built on the edge of the town, which has meant that neighbouring authority West Dorset District Council has had to identify potential development sites in areas including Chickerell, Littlemoor and Southill.

There has been a mixed reaction to the move, with some residents concerned that certain areas will not have the right infrastructure in place, as well as worries about loss of green space.

Chairman of Weymouth and Portland Borough Council’s management committee Mike Goodman said while developed sites in town would be considered, areas of open land had to be examined to meet housing need – and the public would have a chance to comment.

For every home that is built the developer will have to make a financial contribution to affordable housing.

As some of the land lies within West Dorset, the district council has had to examine the environmental constraints, infrastructure needs and potential costs of several options.

But it said any urban extension to Dorchester would be impossible without ‘significant public investment’.

West Dorset District Council policy planning manager Hilary Jordan said: “Subject to the approval of the district council's Executive Committee, we are planning to consult the public on options to extensions to Weymouth in June and July this year.”

TOWN CENTRE. TRADERS believe Weymouth town centre needs a boost to help get back on its feet.

The future of the centre and the Pavilion site has been identified by the borough council as a key issue to ensure that the vitality and vibrancy of the town is maintained and enhanced, in view of the trend to use out-of-town shopping facilities and competition from other towns.

Among the ideas is to demolish some town centre buildings to create a new site for development.

The council document also says in the context of the current economic climate any significant development of the Pavilion site in now unlikely before 2012 and therefore options need to be reconsidered.

Dennis Spurr, owner of the Fantastic Sausage Factory in St Mary Street, said: “It’s out of season when we struggle.

“People want a shopping experience, and by that I mean a whole day’s shopping, and we can’t offer that currently.

“We need an indoor shopping centre and perhaps something that could link the elements of our town centre together, like the village idea that was mooted a few years ago.”

He added: “This could be done if we all work together but the trouble is no-one seems to talk to each other. I’d be for a new development in the town centre but will the council ever get round to it when they can’t even get the Pavilion scheme off the ground?”

Paul Hay, of Fish ’n’ Fritz in Market Street, said: “We do need something to compete with other towns, including Dorchester which has a lot of new facilities opening up.

“Weymouth is at the end of the line and people may choose to go to the new Brewery Square development in Dorchester and choose not to travel the few extra miles here.”

* OPTIONS for the future of the town centre include demolition of existing buildings within the ‘core’ to provide a site for development, extending the centre towards the inner harbour and the Swannery by developing on car parks and other land and providing new retail space north of King Street.

Options for the Pavilion include providing a mixed used development featuring housing, new ferry terminal, new or remodelled community theatre, retail and leisure development, transport interchange, large public square, Esplanade improvements, plus a hotel, marina, visitor centre and car parking. A second option would exclude the marina, hotel, visitor/education centre and parking.

TRANSPORT. RADICAL plans to cut car journeys and make better use of public transport have been welcomed by a green campaigner.

The future options proposed include creating a transport hub at Mount Pleasant with a relocated Upwey rail station and a park and ride site with 900 spaces.

There is also a revolutionary idea on the table to create a Bus Rapid Transit Network. The high frequency bus service, possibly electrically-powered, would replace the railway line between Weymouth and Dorchester and also run over the route of the Rodwell Trail.

Green Party Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for South Dorset Brian Heatley said: “One thing we would like to see as a party is more public transport and less reliance on the car, so in that respect these measures are broadly welcomed but we would have to see the detail.

“We would be in favour of a transport hub which would see better movement from bus to rail but would wonder if Mount Pleasant is the best place to put it.

“I use Upwey station but appreciate it would have to be moved because you couldn’t have too many stations otherwise the train wouldn’t get anywhere.”

He added: “Weymouth town is being spoilt by too much traffic and I welcome proposals to encourage greater use of public transport as well as walking and cycling.

“There are difficulties of siting a transport hub in the town centre such as at the railway station but compulsory purchase orders could be used. After all they were used for the Weymouth Relief Road which I believe is a white elephant and an investment in a past transport philosophy.”

* TRANSPORT options include a new park and ride site at Mount Pleasant in conjunction with the Weymouth Relief Road providing bus links. Another option for Mount Pleasant would be to develop it as a transport hub with park and ride and a relocated Upwey station.

Other options include developing a public transport interchange at Weymouth station, providing secure parking for hotels and businesses, introducing a town centre pedestrianised cordon, a new gyratory system for buses and a ‘continuous loop’ bus service, and reducing the number of car parking spaces in town and introducing measures to prioritise walking, cycling and public transport.

Another option is the introduction of a Dorchester-Weymouth-Portland bus rapid transit network (BRT) using the existing railway between Dorchester and Weymouth, the Rodwell Trail and existing roads.

EMPLOYMENT. WEYMOUTH and Portland has to plan for providing 28 hectares of new employment land to accommodate up to 9,500 jobs in the Dorchester to Weymouth travel to work area by 2026.

A land review study reveals the borough has a shortage, leading to a general demand for employment land in Weymouth that could extend to West Dorset.

This additional demand will be increased because of the specialist opportunities for marine technologies at Osprey Quay.

At Chickerell, where an urban extension is planned, West Dorset councillor Elaine Whyte said: “We already have a significant amount of employment land in Chickerell – the Granby Industrial Estate – and I’m all in favour of creating more providing it’s sustainable in that it works together with the infrastructure. At Poundbury they have created a mix of employment and residential, the theory being that the closer you live to work the less you have to travel.

“My only concern is that employment land at Chickerell provides for the right sort of employment for our young people which would enable them to stay in the area.”

Town councillor Brian Bean said losing more greenery would be a concern.

* OPTIONS for economy and employment include locating future employment growth in existing allocated employment areas avoiding development in greenfield locations, and locating new employment land north of Littlemoor, west of Southill and at Chickerell.

Another option is to prioritise office, retail and commercial employment in Weymouth town centre, retaining tourism sites that make a significant contribution to the economy for tourism purposes, and retaining serviced accommodation on the Esplanade with a restriction not to convert chalet and caravan sites for development uses.