PRISON ship HMP Weare could be allowed to operate off Portland until at least March 2006.

The floating prison, which is moored at Castletown, already has permission to house up to 400 prisoners in 200 two-bed cells until March 2003.

Now HM Prison Service wants planners to grant permission for the ship and its onshore facilities to be retained for an extra three years.

Councillors will be hoping that their opinions carry a bit more weight than they did in 1997 when discussions were held on mooring arrangements for Weare before the Government even knew what planners' view were on having the ship.

Several councillors said today that they wanted to know more about future plans for HMP Weare before deciding if they would back a three-year extension for the prison ship.

Coun Andy Hutchings said he appreciated that the ship had benefited the local economy, but he had been worried five years ago that it might become a permanent fixture.

He added: "This latest application underlines those fears. I think the Government should be looking at permanent land-based sites for a prison but not on Portland which already has enough prisons.

"The ship filled a need at the time, but it is not a solution for the future housing of prisoners."

And Coun Jim Churchouse said: "Before deciding if I am going to back the extension, I would like to know whether the Prison Service plans to make the ship a permanent fixture at Portland.

"If it does, how much longer does it consider that HMP Weare will be used? Any three-year extension must be justified."

Senior planning officer Chris Moscrop, who is in charge of the case, said it could be six weeks before the application was able to be debated by Weymouth and Portland's planning sub-committee on January 9, 2002.

He added: "This is an application for further retention of the prison ship HMP Weare and the existing onshore facilities for three more years.

"This is on top of the extra three-year period applied for in March 1999 which runs out in March 2003.

"We will be carrying out the normal round of public consultation, including talks with Portland Town Council."