Heritage praise for our resort (From Dorset Echo)

Heritage praise for our resort

7:40am Saturday 13th October 2007 in

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WEYMOUTH has today received national acclaim for the way it embraces its heritage.

In a new report, English Heritage praises the town for using its rich Victorian and Georgian architecture as a catalyst for regeneration schemes.

The report says that, thanks to redevelopments like Brewers Quay where shops, restaurants and flats are housed in historic buildings, residents are getting a home with a soul'.

Weymouth and Portland Borough Council's leisure and tourism spokesman Kate Wheller said: "It's fantastic that English Heritage has given Weymouth the national recognition it deserves in this report.

"It acknowledges that, while we look to the future, we are consistently careful to respect and preserve our colourful history."

The report is called Regeneration In Historic Coastal Towns. It highlights 15 English towns where heritage has been adapted successfully to meet changing needs.

It says the hundreds of listed buildings in Weymouth town centre, coupled with exciting preparations for the 2012 Olympics, show how a town steeped in heritage can still embrace ambitious developments.

And the £1 million spent by the borough council on its seafront terrace estate in the 1990s was the initial trigger for revitalisation, the report says.

Andrew Vines, regional director of English Heritage in the South West, said: "It is clear seaside towns need to adapt and evolve.

"But investing in the historic core of seaside towns like Weymouth is the essential first step in revitalising communities and giving residents a home with a soul.

"It is what makes them loved, welcoming and unique in the first place.

"From fishing alleys to Victorian boulevards, from old breweries to historic spas, we have lots of evidence to show that people and businesses flourish in places where local character and distinctiveness are being revived."

Weymouth town centre is a designated Conservation Area, meaning the council has extra controls over demolition, minor developments and the protection of trees.

More than 30 of its listed buildings are Grade II* - defined as particularly important buildings of more than special interest'.

Future projects expected to boost historic assets further include the proposed £6 million seafront regeneration scheme, which if successful will see new seating areas, pedestrian area, flowerbeds and updated lighting on the traditional Georgian seafront.

English Heritage also noted the potential of redevelopment plans for the old Navy base in Portland.

The report, released ahead of a national seaside heritage conference in Hastings, said high maintenance costs of historic architecture is a problem in some places - especially on buildings that face salt-laden winds.

Figures from an English Heritage poll found three quarters of people think historic architecture is what makes towns like Weymouth enjoyable.