WEYMOUTH Pavilion is getting a makeover.

And there’s plans to expand the facilities at the venue with a restaurant and art gallery, the Dorset Echo can reveal.

The expansion could even mean a jobs boost for the town.

Funding has already been allocated from the sale of the old borough council offices at North Quay, and match funding is being sought from the Arts Council.

Proposals are expected to be submitted in the next month to request planning permission. Externally the roof will be replaced and the windows will be double glazed.

It comes as Pavilion operator Phil Say said the venue is going ‘from strength to strength’. 

Mr Say led a community takeover of the building in 2013 from Weymouth and Portland Borough Council.

He added that moves to secure a long term lease, up to 2043, will keep the venue intact for future generations.

But fans of the building’s aesthetics needn’t worry as the iconic green roof looks likely to remain.

Mr Say said: “The roof colour has yet to be decided, but it’s likely to be a similar, green-coloured roof because that’s in keeping with what people have seen there for the last 40 or so years. It was originally a copper colour, but it has oxidised. 

“The windows will be similar in design, but obviously more modern and a lot more efficient.”

More than £100,000 has been spent on internal repairs in recent years, Mr Say added and it’s hoped weather proofing and double glazing will bring heating and running costs down. 

“Hopefully we will also be getting an art gallery and restaurant overlooking the bay. We are in a strong position. This is not a pie-in-the-sky idea, we have been working on this since last year. The borough council and MP Richard Drax have been very supportive and there is good momentum.”

If all goes to plan it is hoped external repairs will be completed by the end of this year.

Mr Say spoke of his pride in the venue, citing conferences and gala dinners which bring an out-of-season economy boost for hotels and restaurants, as well as the remaining close partnership with community groups.

He added: “It’s gone from being almost a standalone thing that required huge subsidies to something which doesn’t cost the taxpayer very much and gives so much back.

“I am very pleased and proud that it provides that job security for staff as well as security for groups like the Royal British Legion, who hold fundraisers here, and local companies who hold Christmas parties here every year.

“We are the biggest theatre and cultural venue in the whole of south Dorset and rural Dorset but we are not going to rest on our laurels.”

When asked if the art gallery and restaurant would create more jobs, Mr Say said: “We now have 40 full- and part-time staff so we’re a fair-sized employer. Obviously this is a quiet time of year, but things are on the up.”