A call has again been made for debate on the Pavilion Theatre.

Instead of the restricted issue of whether to keep it open or close it, the debate should be widened to seek the views of the town’s residents, taxpayers, businesses and visitors to explore the options for the best use of the prime real estate of the pleasure/commercial pier, which would thereby benefit the whole town.

Clearly the Pavilion is not commercially viable; the needs of the ferry service providers has changed over the years and their requirement for land should be reviewed in light of future operations and integration with park and ride schemes; and the town’s attractions and facilities require enhancement.

When the economic situation is right a new commercial or trust-run modern theatre could be built in a location near the park-and-ride facility that could take advantage of the transport infrastructure thereby increasing its attraction to the wider South Dorset area.

As for the pier, my suggestion would be to build a sympathetically designed small-scale facility to house a museum of maritime, sailing and local history, which could be an Olympic legacy and linked to other museums such as the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich.

It could also include space for community or art exhibitions; a high quality restaurant; and garden areas designed for the less-able with views of the bay and harbour to compliment those at Greenhill.

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