The new Weymouth Town Council is expected to cost the households in the town around £3 a week.

Provisional figures put the cost to the 'average' Band D home at £184 a year, although for Band B properties, the charge will be £143 a year.

The figure is comparable to the existing charge for Dorchester Town Council, currently at £189 for band D properties, but less than Bridport which currently charges its residents £201 a year for town council services.

The figures are based on an annual budget for the new Weymouth Town Council of £3.34 million a year.

But because residents will no longer be paying council tax for Weymouth and Portland Borough Council, which disappears on April 1, most will be paying less overall for their local council services – unless other increases push charges up.

The current Band D charge for the borough council (2018/19) is £301.08.

What is not known at this stage is the likely charges for the new Dorset Council and the Police and Fire authorities which have to be added to the bill. These should be known in February.

A report to the shadow Weymouth Town Council on Thursday evening also outlines for the first time which assets will be transferred to the new council.

This is as expected - parks, gardens and allotments, public toilets, cemeteries, responsibility for the beach and Esplanade, the Commercial Road council headquarters but no car parks, no hotels or B&Bs with the harbour also being transferred to the new Dorset Council along with the Peninsula development site behind the Pavilion.

A report from finance officer Julie Strange says that other transfers to the town council could happen in the future.

“It is recognised that the successful establishment and functioning of Weymouth Town Council will be an ongoing process. There may be scope for further services to be taken over by it in the future and this may require the transfer of other assets for which provision is made in the relevant legislation,” she says.

Many of the transfers are not freehold, but leasehold, with the Dorset Council retaining the right to dispose of some Weymouth assets in the future.

Provisional budget figures for the new town council show over £1million set aside in the year for 'Greenspaces'; £536,000 for the beach and events; £395.000 for toilets; £105,000 for the Commercial Road council offices and £824,400 for 'central costs' which will mostly be made up of wages, supplies and services.

Shadow town councillors will be told that all 10 allotment sites in the town will transfer to the new council along with parks and gardens such as Greenhill, the Nothe and Radipole Park Drive. This would also include any café’s or other concessions contained within the gardens.

All play areas and Open Spaces maintained by the Borough Council within Weymouth would transfer. This would include the Marsh; the open space at Lodmoor Country Park (but exclude the Nature Reserve and existing leases) and 14 play areas. It will not include Redlands Community Sports Hub.

The report says that whilst most of the play areas will transfer on a freehold basis, three will transfer leasehold as they have already been identified as future development sites.

It is also proposed to transfer Tumbledown Farm to the Town Council as this has long been an integral part of the future of the Parks service although further work is being undertaken to ensure existing projects can be completed.

The administration and operation of all cemeteries, including closed cemeteries would also transfer to the Town Council – but not the Crematorium which will go to the Dorset Council.

Also going to the town council will be public loos within Weymouth. This will involve the transfer of 10 sets of public conveniences with the project for the new Esplanade 'superloo' also being transferred, together with the funding to carry out the work.

All aspects of the Weymouth beach operation would be transferred to the Town Council including health and safety, deckchairs and lost children.

The cost of cleaning the beach and litter bin emptying along the Esplanade will also transfer.

All operational aspects of the Esplanade including all concessions, advertising drums, seafront shelters would transfer. This will also include the new lighting scheme.

Because the Esplanade is classed as a sea defence, the freehold and all coastal defence responsibilities must remain with the Unitary Authority but a lease will enable the operational aspects to be managed by the Town Council.

The Festivals & Events function would also transfer to the town council.

It is also proposed that the regular local community development work within Weymouth is transferred to the Town Council, although the Dorset Council will maintain a strategic overview of community development and partnerships work, and may commission additional work such as that being undertaken for the Melcombe Regis Board

The management and maintenance of the clocks and monuments would become the responsibility of the Town Council involving 16 sites across the town including the Jubilee Clock and the King George III bathing hut.

The Town Centre Management function will also be transferred to the Town Council.

A list before councillors shows the likely transfer of a number of other properties such as garages which are currently not used for operational purposes as well as many small areas of land, mostly consisting of verges and small areas of land on housing estates.

The process for the transfer of assets to the Weymouth Town Council will be set out in a Reorganisation Order which will be considered by the full Borough Council on January 17. It will also need approval from the Dorset Council shadow executive.

The new council could also see the creation of a new lengthsman post for the town to provide a quick response to maintenance issues within the town and undertaking minor repairs.

Also planned for is a Community Grants budget of £50,000, an additional ongoing budget for the town centre manager of £20,000 and the creation of an Enforcement Team within the town, estimated to cost in the region of £50,000.