Residents and the Weymouth Civic Society have called for a return to a scheme proposed five years ago for the North Quay area.

It largely restores the line of the old High Street with traditional housing, small shops and cafes, similar in appearance to the award-winning Harbour Lights development between the council offices and Asda.

News about what is now being proposed will be made public soon, according to borough council leader Jeff Cant. He said on Tuesday that residents will be told about what is in store for the site in the coming weeks.

Cllr Cant told a borough management committee meeting that there will be a public consultation and any new development will be led by the council, not developers.

Pru Bollam from the Weymouth Civic Society said the five year old scheme, proposed by Dr David Evans, then the council's director for environment, remained the most popular aspiration for the site.

“We beg our representatives to ensure that the developer selected is briefed, made aware and willing to deliver a project with due regard to the aspirations of so many, and providing the residential and commercial needs of a new and thriving area with adequate parking and traffic controls and all having the character and design worthy of its situation at the heart of our town of Weymouth.”

She also asked for the development to respect the setting of the old town hall and the Boot pub with reasonable building heights and a service road at the rear, broadly in line with the ancient High Street.

Graham Perry urged the council to have a traffic free quayside which could be used for public events while retired journalist Harry Walton asked the council to learn from its past mistakes and to also pay attention to the archaeology of the area during the re-development.

Said Cllr Cant: “This is a prime site and we are determined to deliver an iconic development before we leave in March.”

Borough councillors met in private after the committee meeting to hear about the new proposals for the site. It is understood all involve demolishing the council building and retaining some car parking.

The borough council has suffered financially over the last scheme to redevelop the site and has had to pay costs to the previous developers over proposals which kept the building intact, converting it to apartments. A joint statement was issued in February this year by the borough council and North Quay Weymouth Limited which said an amicable settlement had been reached for a clean break, with NQWL retaining the deposit it paid when contracts were exchange for the sale of the building and the council making a £167,500 contribution towards the development company's costs.

The council's handling of the deal led to public protests and calls for senior councillors to resign.