SEAFRONT chalets have been handed over to the community – but a warning was issued to the new managers to take care of the historic buildings.

The Weymouth and Portland Borough Council management committee met this week to discuss a proposal to grant a 30 year lease for a new charitable trust - set up by the Greenhill Chalet User group – to manage the facilities.

The proposal was unanimously agreed by the committee – though several councillors commented that it comes three years after the management committee rejected the idea.

But Cllr Andy Blackwood, briefholder for community facilities, issued a warning to the charitable trust.

He said: “It would be fair to say the chalet users have a longstanding and at times quite difficult relationship with the council. It has been a very long process and understandably at times very difficult. There’s a lot to be said for moving forward in the way that’s proposed.”

But he added: “I have one or two reservations. The first is a recommendation to the chalet users, which is to be careful about what you are letting yourselves in for. One of the ongoing issues is the cost of maintaining these very old chalets and while there will be a tendency to jump at the opportunity to take over the management because they will believe the council has mismanaged it, I think there are a number of big risks involved.”

Cllr Blackwood said there’s also a risk that the community won’t get to use the chalets
“There’s a risk, and I hope it’s one the charitable trust will try hard to avoid, that we won’t see much turnover of chalet use. Those lucky enough to have one might be tempted to ringfence their position and make it difficult for other members of the community to get use of them.”

His words came after one chalet user, David White, of Yeovil, blamed poor maintenance for a fire at several of the chalets in December 2015.

He said: “That fire could have been prevented if the security lights had been working.”

Mr White added that some of the wood on the chalets is rotten.

A report presented to the committee noted that the chalets bring an income of more than £100,000 per year to the borough council – but due to the ‘deteriorating condition’ of the buildings there’s little cash left over for annual maintenance after management and insurance has been covered.

The committee agreed to grant a 30-year lease at peppercorn rent to the Greenhill Chalet User Group Charitable Trust.

Councillors welcomed the move, saying it is the ‘right time’, although Cllr Gill Taylor said the group should be supported by the borough council ‘to make it work’.