Dorset Council has today, 30 March 2023, submitted a brand-new planning application proposing to demolish the former Weymouth and Portland Borough Council offices at North Quay, Weymouth.
If approved, the demolition will be the first phase in the Dorset Council’s ambition to regenerate Weymouth’s waterside economy. With the recently announced £19.5m Levelling Up Funding (LUF), along with the plans for North Quay, the council intends to regenerate other areas of Weymouth, including the peninsula and the town centre.
Dorset Council’s previous application to demolish the former council offices and redevelop the site was withdrawn after the area planning committee voted against the proposals in September 2019.
Cllr Tony Ferrari, Dorset Council’s Portfolio Holder for Property, Assets and Regeneration, said:
“Dorset Council has bold ambitions to kick start Weymouth’s economy, and the new planning application to demolish North Quay represents the first step in making our aspirations for Weymouth a reality. If approved, the site will attract a range of high-quality development partners to work with us to breathe new life into this key waterside location, which will bring many benefits to residents and businesses of Weymouth.
“It was frustrating that the previous planning application was withdrawn in 2019, but we’ve worked hard since then to draw up fresh plans for the demolition and secured significant funding from government to help enable this work.
“We have carried out an extensive exercise to investigate the carbon impact over the life of the site. Because of the carbon efficiency of new build properties there is little difference in the carbon impact of demolishing the current building versus refurbishing it. The environmental benefit is that redevelopment will allow many more carbon efficient homes to be built on this brownfield site, avoiding the need to build homes on greenfield sites.”
The new planning application seeks only to demolish the former council offices, no plans for redevelopment are included. If the area planning committee approves the proposals, it will enable the council to prepare options for the site. Any plans for future re-development will be brought forward in a separate application at a later date and until that time, the site will be used to create temporary additional car parking spaces.
This is a fresh approach for a new vision for North Quay and comes as a result of the council’s successful Levelling Up Funding bid. LUF will allow the council to improve and enhance the local area generating inward private investment that is essential to make the best use of this key waterside redevelopment scheme.
Cllr Ferrari continued:
“Currently the derelict North Quay building is costing us somewhere in the region of £110,000 to maintain each year, which is not sustainable. The new planning application demonstrates that the most economic and environmentally sustainable option for the site is to demolish the redundant office block. This will enable us to attract inward investment, bringing much needed homes to Weymouth and will create jobs in Dorset’s construction industry.
“Early permission will also allow us to complete the archaeological investigations of the site.
“Coupled with the recent highway improvements along Custom House Quay, if approved, any future redevelopment of this site will make the whole marina area a much more attractive place to live, work and visit. We know this is widely supported by local people and the Levelling Up Funding will make it possible.”
Individuals, businesses and organisations are encouraged to examine the documents and comment on the proposals through the usual planning process on the Dorset Council website. The application can be found here.
Please whatever is decided make it an area that will make Weymouth a desirable place to visit, we have an opportunity to bring Weymouth back from the dead. We have a probation hostel on a prime hotel site, that was dumb. We need things that get good people and families in Weymouth we don’t need more crooks
It is disappointing that this application only appears to give permission for another car park! I assume the council are footing the bill wheras it would have been prudent for the demolishing of the old building to be picked up by the commercial development. I fear we will have another waste land site like the old gas holder site which is still not developed. The town is gradually closing down. The area round the marina is a fantastic opportunity but doubt I’ll live long enough to see it.
Hello Brian,
I think you have misinterpreted the statement. The demolition will allow for potential future redevelopment. The process to bring forward any plans for redevelopment is likely to take some time, so until then, the council is proposing to create some temporary additional car parking spaces on the footprint of the building, if permission to demolish is granted. I hope this makes sense, Kirstie
I understand that demolition is not the best option if we are attempting to reduce carbon emissions. The largest amount of carbon is within the construction of foundations and use of concrete – which in the case of North Quay, carbon emissions from foundations were excluded from the “expert” calculations that went on to conclude demolition was the preferred option – misleading information.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-53642581
Weymouth does not need another central car park – Weymouth needs a park & ride that runs effectively and an improved bus service to effect a reduction of traffic into & through the town.
Demolition is a very bad option, in terms of environmental balance. Obviously something needs to be done about the ludicrous existence of an empty and rotting property on an important site, but come on Weymouth, you must be able to do better than this?
Since 2019, a further carbon impact study of the building and its foundations has been undertaken. This compares the environmental impact of refurbishing the existing building against a new build option. The report concludes that a larger development built to modern sustainable standards will have a reduced carbon impact, compared to refurbishing the existing building. This is because modern buildings have to meet the highest levels of sustainability and as a result, are more energy efficient over the projected lifetime. The report is being uploaded to the website today so you should be able to examine it from this evening. Kirstie
Hello everyone, here is a link to further information about North Quay, which includes links to three documents which include the carbon impact studies and the final report into the findings of the archaeological dig that was undertaken in 2021. https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/w/north-quay-development-weymouth?p_l_back_url=%2Fsearch%3Fq%3DNorth%2BQuay
Thanks, Kirstie
What a waste of taxpayers money and an environmental outrage! With the high housing shortage in this country, the building should be put to better use by converting it into flats – the services would only need reconnecting.
K
Hi Karen, the eventual plan is to rebuild on this site. If we refurbished the building, it would return 55 apartments, but redevelopment will provide 87 apartments and a much bigger ground floor area for commercial or public use.
A detailed study of the carbon impact over the life of both choices has been carried out. The result is that there really isn’t much difference between the two options. This study is available here https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/w/north-quay-development-weymouth?p_l_back_url=%2Fsearch%3Fq%3DNorth%2Bquay
Redeveloping allows us to build 32 more homes on a brown field site, compared to repurposing the existing building. If we don’t build them here the council would likely have to build them on greenfield sites elsewhere. The redevelopment option delivers more regeneration for Weymouth, more homes and protects green fields without a carbon dioxide penalty. Hope this is helpful, Kirstie
I don’t think cramming more houses and flats in the town centre will keep the outskirts of Weymouth from being developed as well. The former council office building could serve as a ready-made centre for learning and producing arts and crafts. Destroying the building would be a huge and messy job, when it could provide a meeting place for young people as well as the elderly . Perhaps we would see a reduction in vandalism in the area.