SUPPORTERS of the Pavilion theatre should be alert to any promises or decisions for a new theatre in the new town centre masterplan/supplementary document.

If this is approved on June 4, 2015 it will run in line with the new local plan and its policies. For example, existing policy T04 protects the Pavilion, its replacement; WEY 6 gives no protection whatsoever.

Points to consider are: In 2007 WPBC approved a masterplan for the Pavilion Peninsular, restricting building height to six storeys and residential units to 270. Within a year Howard Holdings persuaded WPBC to introduce a development brief on the grounds the project was not financially viable. WPBC agreed and amended the original masterplan by increasing the building height to eight storeys and residential units to 340.

In the new local plan WPBC are only proposing 150 units for this site. How can this be financially viable or sustainable? Is there an underlying plan for a high rise landmark building with 150 residential units on the ground that the Pavilion Theatre occupies?

If officers get their timing right a development brief can be introduced at any time after the local plan is approved and before the masterplan is endorsed. If enough local people object to the loss of parking in the town centre who knows what amendments will be considered. A development brief at this time will also coincide with the Pavilion three year review clause in its ten year lease. If WPBC have plans to develop the Pavilion Theatre and demolition is involved since 2011 demolition is the first leg of development and requires planning permission and any relevant policies must be considered, such as policy T04.

The Pavilion peninsular is surrounded by corroded sheet piling which the environmental agency states must be replaced within the next fifteen years at a cost of twelve million pounds. Sheet piling has a life expectancy of sixty years so in two generation's time the costs will have doubled. 150 units will not be able to afford the costs and these costs will fall on all ratepayers giving them without doubt economic problems. Please see Weymouth Flood Risk Management Strategy 2010 Final Report.

The peninsular gives no protection whatsoever to the town centre areas that flood or will in the future. The Pavilion theatre is built on Portland stone and will survive if the rest of the peninsular is allowed to return to the sea. All money should go towards the inner and outer harbour sea defences.

The Pavilion theatre is a registered community asset this should also be a consideration.

In conclusion, beware a council masterplan bearing gifts when it has neither money nor a developer for its town centre development to contribute to the community infrastructure levy. The council gives no consideration to its constitutional rules and regulations concerning guidelines to planning or how management and other committee decisions are arrived at. This plan should be rejected until after the proposed local plan and its policies have been adopted.

M Burt

Committee member Friends of the Pavilion