THE future of Greenhill chalets in Weymouth is to be discussed by councillors next week.

Consultants have delivered a make-or-break report that will decide the fate of the seafront buildings.

Around 50 of the chalets will either be demolished or repaired and part of the site given over to commercial development.

Now Weymouth and Portland Borough Council is ready to agree a timetable that will lead to a final decision being made on the chalets later this year. A series of meetings will be held between councillors, consultants and chalet-users between June and August.

Finance and resources briefholder Coun Howard Legg said: "At this stage we are discussing the timetable and not the content of the report.

"We are proposing a timetable that will see meetings with stakeholder groups taking place in May, followed by consideration by the council's policy and management committees between June and August."

The future of the council-owned chalets has been under discussion for a number of years.

A report last year by officers recommended a number of chalets should be closed when the leases run out in 2008.

The full extent of the structural problems revealed many were prone to flooding and were not safe to use.

Councillors decided there was no possibility of finding the £595,000 to repair the buildings and decided to order a consultant's report that would help them resolve the issues.

The full details of the report are not available yet but it advises the council on the commercial and development options available. It has been estimated that the demolition of the buildings would save the authority thousands of pounds a year.

Redevelopment would generate even more income.

New chalets could be let a premium rate and new restaurants bring further income.

An early artist's impression of what could be built on the site showed the two-storey chalets replaced with four-storey blocks and a new restaurant facing the sea.

Under this scheme the existing tennis court would be converted into a car park.

The council needs to make a decision on the future of the site by September when it will plan its finances for the year ahead.

The timetable is set to be agreed at a meeting of the management committee on April 3.