A CAMPAIGN to restore access to a Weymouth beach has been given a major boost after a housebuilder stepped in with a solution.

A movement has been growing in the community over the past few months to get authorities to act over Castle Cove Beach which became blocked off after a landslip last year.

Although the beauty spot is privately owned it has been enjoyed by families for generations.

Weymouth and Portland Borough Council says there is no money available to fund stability works.

Now developers C & L Development have submitted a planning application to the council to build three luxury homes on Old Castle Road, near the beach access point.

As part of the plans they want to reinstate public access to the beach.

A Friends group set up to campaign for access to the beauty spot described it as ‘excellent news’.

The public have not been able to access the beach at Castle Cove for a year after a landslip closed the footpath and steps were removed.

The only way to access the beach currently is from around the coast at low tide.

Campaigners from the Friends of Castle Cove Beach have been rallying to try and get access restored, and a 1,700-signature petition went before Weymouth and Portland Borough Council earlier this year.

But councillors decided to take no further action. They were told it would cost up to £1 million to address the instability, which was caused by groundwater.

The council spent a year looking for alternative funding but had no success and only a third is available from the government.

But the footpath and beach access could be restored by developer C&L Developments.

Project manager Nathan Challis said he would like to see the access restored so people can enjoy the beach.

The plan is to put piling down to 21 meters into the limestone to secure the site.

Mr Challis said: “What we want to do is get access reinstalled so we are looking at a couple of options.”

The company is currently in discussions with the owners of the beach and those who own a small strip of land at the side of the proposed site.

He said it would be beneficial to everyone, adding: “The houses we would be building in there will have access to the beach and so will the public. It will remain public access.”

Although it might cause some traffic disruption while building takes place, the company said they will only be working from 9am-5pm and the houses won’t block the views across Portland Harbour.

He said: “In the long run everyone will benefit from the houses being put in.”

He added: “Everyone that will be working on these houses will be locally sourced. It will give a bit of trade back to Weymouth.”

Chairman of the Friends of Castle Cove Beach Steve Elsworth, pictured, said it was ‘excellent news’ the company was supporting the principal of public access to the beach but added that the group were ‘cautiously optimistic’.

He said: “We will keep going with the public right of way application in case it falls through. It’s great news and it’s a very positive approach. Our main concern remains getting public access to the beach and we need to keep going with the process we have started.”