TRADERS have hit out at a new plan to revamp Weymouth seafront.

They claim that a plan to widen the pavement proposed by Weymouth and Portland Borough Council is ‘unfair’.

The scheme will see the pavement between Bond Street and New Street widened – but only if traders agree to help foot the bill.

Businesses between East Street and Bond Street have already benefited from a pavement-widening scheme that was funded by the council causing many businesses to feel the new proposals are unfair.

Widening the pedestrian area is hoped to encourage a ‘café culture’ along the Esplanade but it would also mean the loss of 16 metered parking bays and the implementation of No Waiting and No Loading restrictions in the area.

Linda Bush, owner of The Tea Bush café situated on the Esplanade between the two streets, said: “I don’t think it is right that we have to pay when the other side got their end extended for free – especially when their end was already wider than ours.

“The council has said that if we do not pay and our neighbours do, our neighbours can have our outside space and that’s almost bribery.

“I feel as if I am being pushed into it.”

Donna Parker, assistant manager at The Dorothy Inn pub, said: “If they can widen the other side without the businesses paying for it then it should be the same for this side. It will cause problems with deliveries too.”

Brett Dunster, owner of Aura and Dusk, said: “I think it should be done but I don’t think we should have to dig deep to fund ours. The people who have benefited up the other end should pay something to subsidise our end.

“I’m still undecided if I’m going to go for it, we’re sitting on the fence.”

He added: “The loss of parking will also cause problems.”

Braidie Gribben, assistant manager of The Lazy Lizard, said the bar would probably ‘go for it’ but added it is ‘unfair that the council will do it for free on one side but not the other’.

Ali Asum, owner of The Victoria Hotel, added: “I think it is a good idea but when we already pay so much money in rates I think the council should be helping businesses on both sides with the funding.”

Sam Roots, manager of the shop Edz, suggested that all the businesses should have a meeting about the plans.

Councillors will accept or throw out the idea at a meeting on September 7.

* WEYMOUTH and Portland Borough councillor Geoff Petherick said that businesses would not have to pay a sitting out licence for a period of time if they agree to pay for the scheme.

Coun Petherick, who is the chairman of the management committee, said: “Previous works to widen other areas of the Esplanade were funded by the borough council as part of an essential traffic management scheme and junction improvement.

“If the proposed pavement widening scheme goes ahead, businesses in this area will not be subject to the normal sitting out licence fees for a fixed period of time to reflect the extent of contributions.”

Coun Peter Chapman, spokesman for finance and assets, added that the scheme would allow pedestrians to ‘reclaim’ part of the Esplanade that is currently dominated by traffic.

He added that although parking spaces on the seafront would be lost, the ‘reduction in traffic levels’ and the ‘increased safety for residents’ will make the scheme ‘an important asset to the Seafront Regeneration Programme’.