Water refill stations could be incorporated at some of the installations on the Weymouth sculpture trail.

The idea has been added to the design concept as a possible option and could involve a partnership with Wessex Water.

Borough councillors will be asked in the coming days to either accept or reject the idea and whether they would like one artist to oversee the project, or to commission artists separately to create the artworks.

The idea has been bubbling under for more than a year now – having been first agreed at a borough management committee in December 2017 and given a £123,000 budget.

Since then a public consultation exercise has been carried out by local arts group, B-side.

A panel of councillors has asked that the trail be produced by a variety of artists, ideally from Dorset, and say that the water refill units should be a secondary concern and should “not detract from the primary artistic purpose of each installation.”

B-side says it would prefer a single artist to lead the project to ensure ‘continuity and a coherent style throughout’.

Councillors will be told at the management committee meeting on December 11 that talks will also have to be held with the new Weymouth Council and the new unitary Dorset Council about which will be responsible for the implementation of the project and the long-term responsibility for maintenance.

B-Side research suggests that people, generally, want to see a trail of sculptures that connect various sites around the town, with specific attention to Hope Square, New Bond Street and the Esplanade

Many made comments about creating selfie/photo opportunities.

There was also a call for the artworks to tell a story about Weymouth, with a contemporary twist.

Said the B-side report: “Together, the artworks and water stations will animate the streets, connecting people and places, to produce an exciting and unique way of creating public art that is both useful, and beautiful.

“Cohesion could be achieved by using a repeat/sequential motif. For example, there may be areas that require demarcation as designated busking areas, or signage, creating a visual network.”