COUNCILLORS have recommended that a working group be set up to consider the future of Greenhill Gardens after residents reiterated their opposition to proposed redevelopments.

Weymouth and Portland Borough Council's policy development committee listened to representations from interested parties and considered reports by council officers and external consultants before coming to their decision.

They unanimously agreed to recommend to the management committee to extend all existing chalet licences to March 31, 2009 and that a policy committee working group be created to look at the reports' recommendations in more detail.

The group would be able to invite representatives of stakeholders to help them look at proposals such as the option to refurbish the chalets and develop a restaurant on the tennis courts.

Former councillor Andy Hutchings, a member of Friends of Greenhill Gardens, spoke first on behalf of Greenhill's disgruntled locals.

He said: "I'm concerned about the lack of public consultation in respect of the consultant's report."

The Chalet Users' Comm-unity Group also presented their proposal to run the council-owned chalets themselves under a co-operative management system.

Residents claimed the proposals contravened a covenant set down when the gardens were first created in 1902.

Greenhill resident Iain Campbell said: "After all, the covenants were there to keep the gardens as gardens. Who would object to that?"

Councillors at last night's meeting said that the latest proposal would give the public more chance to have their voices heard and allow for a wider consultation process.

Coun Peter Farrell said: "I support this wholeheartedly, consultation is necessary, I have had an enormous amount of lobbying on this."