WEYMOUTH’S vaunted harbourside development could feature a Premier Inn as its centrepiece.

Officials are banking on the development to revitalise the Pavilion peninsula area and generate tens of millions of pounds for the Weymouth economy.

It comes as an outline planning application for the Weymouth Peninsula development has been submitted to Weymouth and Portland Borough Council.

Borough Council leader Jeff Cant said the bid by Premier is one of five expressions of interest, along with Radisson Blu and three others.

The scheme will see the area completely redeveloped with the aim of ‘expanding Weymouth’s leisure facilities and add to its year-round attraction as well as creating hundreds of new jobs’.

Under the proposals submitted in the scheme, the development will see a new terrace with four restaurants, a café, a 100-bedroom hotel, a mixed-use pub/diner with guest accommodation with 20 rooms and a large and sub-divisible freestanding leisure unit.

Alongside this, there will also be a smaller leisure unit located nearer the centre of the site, a mixed-use harbour building providing administrative accommodation and one floor of flexible office accommodation suitable for start-up uses.

Car parking provision will also be offered consisting of 280 public spaces and 47 private spaces.

To allow this to proceed, the current buildings, excluding the Pavilion Theatre and Jurassic Skyline viewing tower, will be demolished.

Paul Smith, acquisition manager at Premier Inn, said: “The Weymouth Peninsula scheme is an exciting opportunity for the town and would deliver substantial investment and regeneration, helping to make the most of the town’s waterfront.

“We have a live requirement in Weymouth for an additional new hotel and are looking to invest. The opportunity to be part of Weymouth Peninsula, invest in the town and create new year-round jobs is very attractive to us.”

In an economic report to the council, consultants Regeneris say that the plans will create around 140 permanent jobs from the commercial and leisure elements of the scheme once operational plus hundreds more seasonal and construction jobs.

Annually, they added that the site would bring in around £8.5 million to the Weymouth economy of which £5.18m would be generated by tourists.

Borough council leader Jeff Cant said: “The peninsula project is part of an ambitious plan to transform Weymouth into a vibrant, year-round destination. Developing this site would provide more indoor leisure facilities for residents and visitors alike while complementing other facilities and businesses in the town.”

The submission of the application follows a series of public engagement events and a survey which resulted in 52 per cent of people saying the scheme was ‘very good’ or ‘good’ and a further 27 per cent saying it was ‘fair’.

Melcombe Regis ward councillor Francis Drake, said: “It’s going to be of benefit to Weymouth in the long run.

“Investment is needed on that particular site however the town is currently suffering at the moment because there are too many empty shops on the high street.

“I would rather see investment go into the town rather than the peninsula in general.”

Claudia Moore, chief executive of Weymouth Business Improvement District (BID), said: “It is a positive step for the peninsula, however, concerns for hotel provision were voiced by the town’s hoteliers.

“We need something different to what we already have on offer in the town, a unique selling point.

“We will lobby with what people want and ensure that their views to be put forward and we are also working with Weyforward to ensure that everyone’s priorities are taken into account.”

Ian Girling, chief executive of the Dorset Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: “This application represents a significant opportunity for Weymouth and the general regeneration proposals for the town.

“The proposed investment in the peninsula and improved facilities will benefit both tourism and business in the town.”

In a planning statement, the council added: “It is always challenging to bring development to a historic setting, but

"We believe that the revised proposals provide a logical and appropriate addition to the town, providing new facilities to continue the regeneration of Weymouth, whilst responding appropriately to its historically and visually sensitive context.”

The outline planning application will seek approval to build, in principle, the elements outlined in the proposals with the detailed phases expected to come later this year.