WEYMOUTH Bay could be turned into a giant boat park for Olympic visitors.

Confidential plans obtained by the Dorset Echo reveal the proposed channels for Olympic events, commercial and recreational craft and a spectators’ mooring area in Weymouth Bay which are proving controversial.

Hoteliers and tourists say the plan to create a ‘mini-marina’ in the bay for spectator craft will block views of the sailing for landlocked spectators and increase water pollution from dumped sewage and litter.

Alison Weller, the owner of the Channel View guest house , who also sits on the Weymouth Guesthouse and Leaseholders Association Committee said: “It would be like having the harbour in the bay.

“The whole area would be obstructed and it could put people off coming here.

“I won’t be happy if this goes ahead and I doubt anyone else along here would be.

“Not only would it obscure the sailing, it would obscure the beautiful view across the bay in general.”

Dennis Smith, who runs the Whitecliff bed and breakfast said: “This anchorage area would be right in front of quite a built-up area.

“I don’t have anything against the Olympics coming here but this is definitely not in the right place.

“I would have thought it would be more beneficial to move it further east to obscure less of the view for the people on the shore.”

Linda Mann, who has run the Redcliff guest house for seven years and is the secretary of the Weymouth Guesthouse and Leaseholders Association Committee, said she thought the anchorage area was a ‘big no-no’.

She added: “All these boat users would be using their loos and dumping their contents straight into the bay.

“People won’t want to go into the sea if that’s the case.

“This area would be better moved further east because the waters are deeper there.”

Holiday maker Bob Drew of Bristol said allowing the yachts to moor in the bay is a case of the ‘favoured few being treated as more important than the masses’.

He added: “I think that’s the wrong way to be thinking about the sailing events.

“Who’s going to be spending the money?

“It won’t be the people on the yachts who have their provisions with them, it will be the people on the shore who can’t see a thing.”

June and George Cornwell, who came to Weymouth on holiday from Essex, echoed the view that the proposed mooring area was in the wrong place.

Mrs Cornwell added: “I think it’s not the right place for it and, with the sewage, I wouldn’t want my grandchildren swimming in the sea while those boats are there.”