Portland town Mayor Sylvia Bradley said she hoped it would be a positive thing for the people of Portland.

She said: “A lot of residents on the island are saying they are against it, there’s a lot of things on the island that have been started and not finished.

“If it’s going to put Portland on the map then I think it would be good.

“Provided the proposals are kept to and not changed then anything that’s progress I agree with.

“Creating jobs and making things better for the people and bringing work and prosperity to Portland I agree with.

“But they’ve got to show the people of Portland that it will do that because we have had a lot of letdowns in the past.

“The quarries are meant to be given back to the people and put to good.

“Hopefully this will be a positive thing.”