COUNCILLORS last night backed a plan to turn part of Weymouth's new Pavilion complex into a money- spinning party venue.

But Weymouth and Portland Borough Council committee members demanded assurances that the private sector be brought in to manage the replacement for the Ocean Room.

Councillors also called for plans to build a heritage centre in the complex to be scrapped because of fears it will not be financially viable.

A meeting of the community regeneration and culture committee at the Guildhall was asked to agree with a draft business plan for the replacement for the Ocean Room - provisionally called The Place'.

The plan is to make the 300 square metre space a commercially viable function room marketed for weddings and office parties to rival local hotels, colleges and the Weymouth and Portland Sailing Academy.

At the meeting last night councillors agreed to the principle of a business plan, subject to the results of the public consultation and with assurances the private sector will be consulted about running the complex.

Coun Simon Bowkett said the council should be careful about how many community functions it would subsidise. He said: "Some of the figures seem a little too ambitious.

"I would hate to be back here in five years' time being asked to prop up the Pavilion again with more funds - we need to eliminate subsidy."

The business plan says the council could run The Place' and create annual revenue of £564,600 - generating a profit of £14,000 a year.

But Coun Ian Bruce said the plan should only be relied upon as a fall-back'.

He said: "Before Howard Holdings builds a hotel they have an operator signed up and before they build a marina they have someone signed-up to run it. Let's now go out to companies and say, we think we have this type of room - are you interested in running it?"

Coun Bruce said plans to use The Place' for weddings should be dropped as they were too ambitious.

Councillors said no decision should be made on funding and design until the business plans for the heritage centre and the theatre are presented to the council.

"All three are interlinked," said Coun David Harris.

Coun Jacqui Redfern added: "If you can make money out of the heritage centre I will eat my hat.

"I can't see the importance of a heritage museum on one of the most important sites in the borough. I'd rather have an extra car park as we would make more money out of it."

n The results of an online poll in the Dorset Echo revealed an overwhelming opposition to the current plans.

Only 76 people (19.6 per cent) thought the proposed Pavilion scheme was the right one for the town while 312 (80.4 per cent) thought it was not.