A DEVELOPER hoping to convert the former council offices in Weymouth into flats has failed to buy the site by the agreed date.

Weymouth and Portland Borough Council was due to complete the sale of the North Quay site with developers Acorn South at the end of July.

But the council, currently locked in a planning wrangle with Acorn over the development of North Quay which is going to appeal, has said the firm ‘declined’ to complete the sale.

The council is hoping to sort out the matter quickly and has expressed its ‘frustration’ over the delay.

Dorset Echo:

The end of July sale completion was a requirement of the contract between Acorn and the council, and councillors will now have to consider the implications of this delay.

A confidential item, ‘North Quay – contractual issues’ is due to be discussed in private at the end of the borough council management committee next Tuesday.

The council said it exchanged contracts with the buyer in September 2016. Officers have been working with the buyer to complete the sale.

Leader of Weymouth and Portland Borough Council Councillor Jeff Cant said: “We were due to complete the sale of North Quay at the end of July.

“We were disappointed to learn that the buyer declined to complete the sale on the agreed date, which is a requirement of the contract.

“It is deeply frustrating to find ourselves in this position so close to the completion of the sale. But we are hopeful that this can be resolved swiftly.”

A spokesman for Acorn South said: “We have a contractual relationship with the council and our respective lawyers are continuing their dialogue concerning our purchase of the site.”

Acorn was selected as the preferred buyer of the prominent harbourside office site, which the council vacated last year to save money.

The authority has moved to cheaper-to-run offices in Commercial Road as well as placing staff in offices at Chickerell and South Walks House, Dorchester.

Acorn has set up North Quay Weymouth Ltd to progress its plans.

But rather knocking down the 45-year-old North Quay office block and building something new in its place, which many local people had hoped, the firm wants to convert the block into 56 one and two-bedroom apartments.

The council decided last year that Acorn must apply for planning permission to change the building’s use from office to residential if it wanted to proceed with its plans.

Acorn is appealing this decision, with a hearing set to be heard by a governbment planning inspector in the coming months.

Earlier this summer, the council permanently closed off the North Quay car park as it prepared to sell the site.

Large boulders have since been placed at the entrances to block access to car parking spaces.

Meanwhile, a petition on change.org calling for a ‘proper development’ at North Quay has attracted 1,185 signatures.

  • The council secured planning permission for a tasteful residential development in a Georgian-style linking in with the old fire station site before it embarked on selling North Quay. This plan would involve demolishing the offices. But Acorn was under no obligation to proceed with that scheme, and instead wants to convert the building.