A NEW land train plan for the streets of Weymouth is on track.

Weymouth Town Council has given its support to plans for a new land train to operate in the town.

The train would operate two routes – from Brewers Quay to Alexandra Gardens and from the Alexandra Gardens to Radipole Lake.

The businessman behind the plans is Tony Poole who needs the support of Weymouth Town Council, Dorset Council and Dorset Police for a Vehicle Special Order (VSO).

A VSO is needed for the land train to operate on a public highway.

Dorset Council and the police have yet to make a decision on the plan,

At the town council meeting, Cllr Jon Orrell said: “I am generally in support of it. I would be even more supportive, if it was an electric train. Failing that it’s diesel, but it’s still pulling a lot of people.

“There’s probably a lot of young and old people who might otherwise drive in their cars, so on balance, it will probably result in less pollution because people will be travelling more efficiently.”

On the electric train suggestion, Mr Poole said: “Give me more time, it’s not out of the question.”

Cllr Oz Kanji said: “These slow (land trains) cause a lot of pollution by cars travelling behind them, so I don’t think that it’s that beneficial.

“Weymouth is not a huge town, you can walk around it in five minutes, I don’t see the benefit of it, other than a novelty factor.”

Cllr Christine James said: “I have to disagree with you because Dorset Council, as I understand, is looking to pedestrianise all of the town centre area, so it could eventually end up that there are no cars going through there."

She said she is ‘fully behind the scheme’ and if it is successful it should be expanded to the other end of the seafront.

Cllr Graham Winter said the town has a ‘lot of history’ and would like to see the land train service play a part in explaining its heritage to visitors.

He was reassured that there are plans to install audio and video detailing the town’s history into the train's carriages.

Cllr Lucy Hamilton, said the council was ‘broadly’ in support, with the recommendation that plans are monitored.

All councillors agreed to support the application for the use of the highway for the operation of a land train, except Cllr Kanji.

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Poole said: “I am very pleased, that all councillors were in favour except one, which was on the issue of pollution. But I think it’s saving people’s cars coming into the town. And what Cllr James said about the pedestrianisation of the town centre, well the land train is made for that.”