'Alternative options' being looked at for North Quay and Weymouth Bowl

Plans to redevelop North Quay and Weymouth Bowl have hit a stumbling block.

Dorset Council says its potential partners have not 'met the standards' they set for development of the two prime locations.

The process to find a development partner began a year ago, but the authority say none of the plans submitted to them have reached the criteria they'd set.

Cllr Richard Biggs, Dorset Council’s Cabinet Member for Property & Assets and Economic Growth, said:

“Dorset Council is steadfast in its commitment to developing these sites in Weymouth. True, we are not where we wanted to be at this stage, but the council’s role is to ensure any future development of these prime investment sites in Weymouth is of the highest quality, sustainable and represents value for money.

"The bids we received from potential development partners simply did not meet the high standards we had set at the start of this process.

“We have a strong future vision for Weymouth, to create thriving, sustainable developments which will regenerate Weymouth’s economy and meet the needs of the town and the surrounding area. That means any investment must bring long lasting benefits to the community and the council’s role is to ensure that happens. We have one opportunity to get this right, and we must stick to our guns to ensure our aspirations for Weymouth are met.”

The Council say they'll now take some time to consider the next steps and will announce further plans in the coming months.

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