WEYMOUTH is doomed economically if it fails to get its multi-million pound relief road, a report warns today.
The study paints a grim picture of a resort in decline with a lack of inward investment, loss of skilled workers and an increase in poverty.
Poor access links would limit large-scale national sailing events, increase demands for access to the world heritage coast and contribute to the decline of Weymouth as a ferry port, it says.
The dire forecast is detailed in a scenario without a relief road drawn up by consultants, based on a survey of local businesses.
The Weymouth and Portland Chamber of Commerce and Industry added to the gloom when they warned today that some 'leading names' in the town's business community would pack up and leave if the go-ahead for the Brown Route A354 relief road was not announced soon.
Chamber chief executive Bill White did not disclose names but suggested the situation in Weymouth would be 'extremely serious' without a new road.
Dorset County Council appointed consultants the SQW/BBP Alliance to undertake a study to assess the potential economic impact of the proposed relief road on the area.
The consultants assessed the economic prospects for Weymouth and Portland with current trends and policies, and the likely economic effects with the construction of the new road.
The scenario with a relief road forecasts economic stability and increased potential for further regeneration.
It says the image of Weymouth as an accessible tourist destination would be enhanced, the tourism and leisure sector would grow, there would be a potential to increase and upgrade hotels, plus better access and facilities for visitors to the world heritage coastline.
Bill White said: "This totally underpins what the business community has been saying for a long time.
"If we don't get the go ahead for this road, in due course we will be seeing leading names leaving this area.
"I fear there will be cutbacks which will affect the commercial life of our town.
"Without a relief road the situation will be extremely serious."
Mr White added: "If we get the green light for the road then we will have to grit our teeth and wait for it to be built.
"The road is the lynch pin, the keystone. It's absolutely fundamental to the future of the borough."
The county council hopes to submit a planning application for the Brown Route by next spring.
Bosses at Portland Port - which could be the new home for the Royal Navy's next generation of aircraft carriers as revealed by the Dorset Echo on Monday - are looking to the building of a new road to aid the port's development.
Portland Port director Rupert Best said: "We have said from the beginning that the port's full potential could not be realised without an effective road link to Dorchester and the motorway at Taunton.
"In the first five years here we have concentrated on developing marine services which doesn't make huge demands on the road system, but there's a limit to how much you can do in that area.
"In the future we would like to be moving around one million tonnes of freight a year on the roads.
"We'd also like to develop ferry services to Europe."
Meanwhile Condor Ferries' marketing manager Nick Dobbs said the prospect of Weymouth declining as a ferry port without the relief road was 'a bit harsh.'
He said: "Certainly I think it would halt the potential progress of Weymouth as a port."
Mr Dobbs added: "When we drew up our schedule of services from Weymouth to the Channel Islands we had to take into account the constraints and impact of traffic flows in the town.
"With a relief road there would be an opportunity for Weymouth to be developed as a more expansive port."
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