Weymouth residents are being asked to have their say on proposals to enhance the harbour area for families, hospitality businesses and active travel.
Last summer, thanks to emergency funding from the Department for Transport, traffic access along Custom House Quay was restricted to aid social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic and – with additional money secured from the DfT – Dorset Council is now looking into permanently enhancing this side of the harbour.
The proposals aim to improve the public space along Custom House Quay, between South parade and St Mary Street, to create a safer space for walking and cycling, enhance the area for outside dining and improve air quality by reducing traffic along the route by removing parking.
These proposals do not include pedestrianisation of the harbourside.
Cllr Ray Bryan, Portfolio Holder for Highways, Travel and Environment, said:
“With a further £438,000 awarded to us from the Active Travel Fund, and the removal of the disused railway tracks along the harbour, we have a fantastic opportunity to reshape and enhance the harbour environment in Weymouth.
“We want to hear from businesses, residents, families and visitors to get a full, rounded picture of how Custom House Quay could better work as a mixed-use environment.”
The survey is open from Wednesday 13 January to Wednesday 24 February. With residents and businesses asked to join the conversation and voice their opinions on a potential new layout for the harbourside which could include a wider footway on the harbour edge, improved cycle links and more space for cafes, restaurants and pubs to use for outside seating, while preserving access for commercial harbour users.
Results of the survey will be used to develop the proposals and will be shared with local residents.
Take part in the survey here.
You need to do both sides of the harbour not just one side! By only doing the Custom House Quay side you’ll be potentially jeopardising our businesses on the Trinity St side.
The road on the Trinity St side is falling to pieces. There are businesses this side that could also do with sitting out areas that do not have it and Hope Square/Brewers Quay is falling apart.
Either fix up both sides or don’t do it at all!
Hi – please do ensure that you are adding your comments to the survey so they can be put forward to elected councillors for their consideration. Best wishes Alex.
As a commercial fishing vessel owner my main concern is the amount of drinking allowed along the quay wall resulting in damage to boats which seen a vast increase last summer after closing the road to traffic if the drinking was kept inside or to seating immediately outside premises this may cut down on damage and people falling off the quay wall which results in injury and as has been death also to take away the parking spaces will kill this end of the town many older people park here as there ability to walk is restricted and a cycle lane against the traffic flow is a fine idea most cyclists can’t keep in a cycle lane when going the same way as the flow so an increase in accidents is surely inevitable another idea designed for the few and not the majority.
Hi S.Sanford, thank you for your comments, please be sure to fill in the survey and add these into the appropriate box.
This looks like a good compromise between leisure and vehicle access. Is there somewhere else that an hour’s free parking could be put near the town?
Hi Mary, thanks for your comments, please be sure to fill in the survey – you can express your concern for the loss of parking in one of the free text boxes.
I like the proposals and do the same on the other side please.
Please do something about Brewers Quay ASAP.
I think that this proposal is a great idea with the wider walkway and extra space for outside seating for the pubs and restaurants. To eliminate the parking will make it a lot more pleasing to the eye for everyone. It would almost be a nice thought for it to be pedestrianised but realistically it still needs to be kept as a road for businesses and also when it was shut off last Summer for the pubs there were occasions when the traffic was grid locked along the seafront and if the Quay was open there would have been another route out.
Hi – please do ensure that you are adding your comments to the survey so they can be put forward to elected councillors for their consideration. Best wishes Alex.
Interesting that a contra flow cycle lane is be included right next to a pavement which will be confusing for pedestrians. On busy days people will spill onto cycle way. Any provision for cycle rack? Perhaps one of the car parks near by could be made free for a limited time to replace the lost spaces?
Hi – please do ensure that you are adding your comments to the survey so they can be put forward to elected councillors for their consideration. Best wishes Alex.
Hi, what abt safer place for mobility scooters along the harbour, with all the table and chairs outside the pubs v difficult to get past on pavement and ppl walking on the pavement too. A nightmare if a pram coming towards me as I can’t move any where for prams to pass by safely.
Hello,
A contraflow cycle path is surely going to present real confusion and dangers to pedestrians in the more relaxed area of the quayside setting unless all cyclists are wearing high visibility cycle wear, which they won’t
be. It’s an accident waiting to happen..
And could there, please, be an information board on the quayside with appropriate photos commemorating the site, including the atmospheric tramway shots, where integral parts of Christopher Nolan’s multi Oscar nominated 2017 epic war film “DUNKIRK, starring Sir Kenneth Branagh were set and shot? Surely, additional publicity for Weymouth.
Very sincerely,
Nigel Chainey
Hi – please do ensure that you are adding your comments to the survey so they can be put forward to elected councillors for their consideration. Best wishes Alex.
Looks good to me providing it does not harm the fishing boats accessibility
Hi – please do ensure that you are adding your comments to the survey so they can be put forward to elected councillors for their consideration. Best wishes Alex.
Surely the new layout can completely remove motor vehicles altogether other than permitted access? What a fabulous space would result, not just a *bit* better than current. Has anybody suffered due to road closure during the rail track removal works?
Hi – please do ensure that you are adding your comments to the survey so they can be put forward to elected councillors for their consideration. Best wishes Alex.
Part of the charm of the harbour is that it is a working harbour, so it is important that local fishermen can easily access the harbourside. The proposal to remove some of the parking needs to take this into consideration.
Hi – please do ensure that you are adding your comments to the survey so they can be put forward to elected councillors for their consideration. Best wishes, Alex.
I am in favour of the proposal to minimise vehicular traffic along Custom House Quay. If there were an alternative proposal to pedestrianise the whole of this that would be my preference. I would like to see the pubs and restaurants being able to seat customers harbour side, as often seen on the continent.
Hi – please do ensure that you are adding your comments to the survey so they can be put forward to elected councillors for their consideration. Best wishes, Alex.
Totally agree with the enhanced pedestrianisation of Custom House Quay. The businesses which are along the quay deserve to have a chance to recover from the pandemic and the open air cafe situation last sommer was terrific. To allow access for visitors to the town there does however need to be a better programme of park and ride to avoid frustration when drivers try to come into town. A limit on private vehicles in the promenade area might also help. Fewer private cars but more pedestrian and disability Ames’s to the quay.
Hi – please do ensure that you are adding your comments to the survey so they can be put forward to elected councillors for their consideration. Best wishes, Alex.