Moves to breathe new life into a gateway to Weymouth have taken a major step forward with hopes for a £4 million funding bid for a range of projects clearing the first hurdle.

Transforming Weymouth railway station into a revamped hub, improving the look of the area and creating better access, is among the projects included in an application to the government for regeneration funding to boost our seaside communities.

It has been announced the bid has progressed a stage further this week, and can now proceed to the second stage of the application process.

If successful, the ‘Gateways to Business Growth in Dorset’ would secure £2.36 million, matched by almost £2 million additional funding from a range of other sources.

It has previously been reported that £900,000 from the above total would be spent on the Weymouth station project. However this was a figure quoted at an early stage of the process and could change.

Dorset Coastal Forum has submitted the bid for an ambitious portfolio of projects to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s Coastal Communities Fund (CCF).

The bid, which also involves projects on Portland, Lyme Regis, Charmouth and Swanage, will now be worked up in detail ready for the next stage of assessment in January. The portfolio aims to improve these key business areas by making enhancements which will benefit local businesses, encourage new businesses to the area and increase tourism.

Natalie Poulter, Dorset Coast Forum Co-ordinator said: "We're really pleased that Dorset’s portfolio has been selected to go forward to the next stage of the process. This fund is very competitive and our selection shows the strength of the broad concepts and the strong track record Dorset has for making the most of the funding we’ve received previously; we’d like to thank all our partners for helping to get the bid this far."

She added: "It’s important that these projects are worked up with consultation and input from a wide range of stakeholders and the different community groups at in each area. We are looking forward to working with all those relevant groups in the coming weeks to help us get the final submission right for the communities involved."

The portfolio’s projects include:

* Weymouth Station Gateway – enhance the public realm at Weymouth train station for visitor welcome, traffic and sustainable transport infrastructure and links to businesses

* Portland Gateway Enhancement – improving public realm and highways infrastructure at Victoria Square

* Lyme Regis/Charmouth Enhancement Project – an access ramp at Charmouth and improved public realm at Lyme Regis

* Swanage Coastal Enhancement project – improvements to the main shopping street and the seafront

The team will submit the detailed application to CCF in January and expect to hear whether or not it has been successful in April.

The CCF is administered by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, to support projects which generate jobs and invest in regenerating England’s seaside towns and countryside. Dorset Coast Forum has a strong track record for delivering projects such as this, and is currently delivering Dorset Coastal Connections, a £5.6 million portfolio from the previous round of the same fund.

Improving look and feel at station

UNDER the project proposals for Weymouth railway station, which was initially costed at £900,000 in total, the street scene and public spaces around the station aim to be enhanced to create a setting to inspire greater visitor ‘dwell’ time to support businesses as well as improve the look and feel of the station forecourt and public realm spaces around Commercial Road and King Street.

Alongside this, the project aims to improve pedestrian flow from Swannery car park and commercial areas into the town centre as well as develop a section of disused (closed) railway branch line into an attractive ‘pocket park’ which links commercial areas and celebrates the site’s railway heritage.

The Dorset Coastal Forum says this will allow visitors arriving at the train station and Swannery car park to have better direct links to the seafront, harbourside and town centre, therefore connecting them to and supporting local businesses.

The station entrance off King Street has long been a problem hotspot with people congregating in the area to drink and take drugs.

There have been calls to improve the look of the area and make it easier for pedestrians heading towards the seafront and town centre.

Partners in the project include Network Rail, South Western Railway, Dorset County Council, Weymouth and Portland Borough Council and the Melcombe Regis Board.

Bridget Betts, co-ordinator of the Dorset Coastal Forum recently spoke at the House of Lords Select Committee on Regenerating Seaside Towns and Communities which launched an inquiry into the challenges facing seaside towns and cities.

Lord Bassam of Brighton, chairman of the committee, said: “Seaside towns and communities face a range of complex challenges.

“We want to find out what the problems are and how they can be solved."