BUSINESS leaders have had their say on the future of Weymouth peninsula after councillors confirmed Condor is still set to depart.

The firm announced in August it will leave, with a new ferry operating from Poole next year.

Dave Price, chairman of the local hoteliers’ association, said whoever takes the place of Condor would have to ‘spend millions of pounds’ repairing the harbour walls.

He suggested the peninsula could be used for alternative means.

Mr Price said: “Hoteliers would like to see a wet weather attraction like a water park.

“That would obviously attract more food retailers. I think we need to look more at developing Portland Marina.”

Phil Say, operator at Weymouth Pavilion, said Condor didn’t have a massive impact on business but he is keen for other parts of the peninsula to be developed.

He said: “I’d welcome plans to have some sort of leisure facility, whether it’s a funfair park or something like WaterWorld. That would be interesting and exciting.”

As well as Condor, the peninsula currently houses the Sea Life Tower.

Tamsin Mutton-McKnight, general manager at Weymouth Sea Life Adventure Park, said she would like to see more development in the area.

She said: “It’s important that we don’t close off any options to the peninsula.

“We would certainly like to see more leisure development and multi-use development in that area.”

Weymouth resident Jason West has been a keen advocate of redeveloping the peninsula.

He recently set up WeyForward, a campaign designed to help share ideas on how to improve Weymouth.

Mr West said it wouldn’t be ‘the end of the world’ if Condor didn’t return.

He said: “My personal opinion, and the opinion of quite a number of people that I talk to as part of WeyForward, is that without Condor the peninsula can be developed in a different way.

He added: “If for the sake of replacing Condor, short-term, I don’t think that would be a great thing.”

Weymouth’s Port was deemed unsuitable by Condor and in need of millions of pounds worth of investment to make it viable.

Condor will still operate the Vitesse vessel from Weymouth until Easter next year.

Mike Byatt, chairman of Weymouth and Portland Borough Council’s management committee, said ongoing conversations were always happening with Condor but the situation remained unchanged.

In June, the Echo reported that council chiefs were trying to tempt another ferry company to Weymouth in the event of Condor setting sail.

Mr Byatt confirmed a number of enquiries had been made with other ferry operators but added that ‘none of those exploratory investigations have come to any definitive outcome’.