Community group launches Crowdfunder to challenge council's peninsula plans

Jason West, co-founder of Weyforward, has launched a campaign in a bid to raise money to hire a law expert and challenge the council to tweak its plans.

Weyforward is a group set up to encourage economic development and social transformation in Weymouth.

It is keen to see development at the landmark peninsula site but believes there should be more community space and inspiring design features.

A crowdfunder page is raising £1,500 to hire Charlie Hopkins, who is described as a ‘well known expert on the law and policy of planning.’

It comes after Weymouth and Portland Borough Council’s management committee voted to progress the first phase of the plans, which will now go before the Shadow Executive Committee then the full council.

The first phase involves the ‘accommodation offer’ at the front end of the site which includes a 100-bed hotel, a pub/diner with rooms, a small café, and harbour developments.

Some councillors are against the plans, saying concerns from the public have been ignored.

The crowdfunder page says: “Just a few hours of Charlie’s time could identify any holes in the council’s plans and that will enable us to make the council pause and listen, which they have refused to do so far.

“Do please donate to hire Charlie to help defend the Weymouth and Portland community’s right to be listened to by its own borough council. We don’t want to stop it, we just want what is right and fair for the community, it is the community’s land owned by the council."

Mr West believes that the plans are uninspiring with a lack community space.

“We think the peninsula plan needs a much more inspiring design and more dedicated and free community space, both inside and out that will make the peninsula a year round hub of community activity and cohesion. It also needs to make sustainability and especially renewable energy generation a much bigger priority,” he said.

Council's response

Weymouth and Portland Borough Council has responded to the launch of the crowdfunder.

Cllr Jeff Cant, Leader of Weymouth & Portland Borough Council, said: “The peninsula is a prime development site and a key component of our masterplan to regenerate the town centre. Our ambition is to create a leisure destination that strengthens the local economy and makes Weymouth an even more attractive place in which to live and to visit.

Councillor Jeff Cant.

“We understand that there has been mention of a free indoor community space on the site, however this is simply not financially viable. Our town is blessed with beautiful, award winning parks and gardens as well as an award-winning beach. All of which are available to the public all year round. There are also existing community halls and sports centres which are more than suitable should there be a need for indoor community facilities.

“We have gone through a rigorous three-year process to get to this stage, with economic studies, market studies and public engagement used to inform the plans so far.

“At this stage we have only submitted an outline planning application. This is seeking to establish whether the type and scale of the development would be acceptable. A further application for the design will come forward in the near future. We will of course involve the public with engagement events, as we did for the outline plans.”

For more information on the crowdfunder visit www.crowdfunder.co.uk/make-weymouth-council-tweak-the-peninsula-plan