MEMBERS of Portland Town Council have backed multi-million pound plans to regenerate Castletown Pier.

Nemesis Properties submitted a planning application last month to build workshops, storage units and holiday flats at the former Copine site.

The council’s planning and highways advisory committee met on Wednesday to discuss the application.

Councillors were reassured that if Nemesis Properties wished to change the holiday flats into permanent residences, they would have to apply for a change of use first.

If the application was approved, a visitors’ book or a record of bookings would also be kept so that the borough council could ensure set conditions were being complied with.

Mayor of Portland Cllr Rob Hughes said: “It will be quite nice. It will be a great investment for Castletown.”

Other members of the committee also voiced their support for the application, which was approved with a majority vote.

Cllr Andy Matthews was the only councillor to abstain from the vote on grounds that the application fell outside the development boundary. People were able to comment on the application until Thursday, November 20. The next stage will see the application considered by Weymouth and Portland Borough Council.