FUNDING bids are being submitted to the government to enable the regeneration of Brewers Quay and North Quay, as well as improving access routes to Weymouth train station, Dorset Council has revealed.
The council will be seeking funding as part of the Government's 'Levelling Up' fund which aims to help local communities improve infrastructure.
It has confirmed it will bid for cash to help fund three Weymouth harbourside regeneration projects at Brewers Quay, North Quay and the peninsula.
Funding would be used to develop Brewers Quay for residential, commercial, community and museum uses, to rebuild harbour walls, demolish existing structures and enable private sector investment at North Quay and to regenerate the peninsula.
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A proposal will also be submitted for a new 80-metre long pedestrian and cycling bridge adjacent to the B3155 Swannery Bridge to connect to existing pedestrian and cycle paths either side of Radipole Lake to improve access to the town centre, train station and seafront areas. The new bridge would connect the Rodwell Trail and routes to the train station and the Esplanade at Jubilee Clock.
Funding will also be sought to create a digital media hub at Weymouth College by building a new facility on the Cranford Avenue site, to build a performance space on Portland, to develop infrastructure for low carbon buses and demand-responsive public transport, and to create an Aquaculture Innovation Centre.
Councillor Tony Ferrari, Dorset Council portfolio holder for economic growth, said: "I want to thank everyone who took the time to submit their proposals for local projects which could be included in our funding bid.
"We've considered them all and picked the ones that we feel stand the best chance of securing funding according to what the government is seeking for this particular scheme.
"We would have loved to have added more items; many of the ideas we have not taken forward in this instance were excellent. I hope people will agree that the items we will be bidding for are excellent too, even if their own preferred project didn't get onto the list.
"We won't be discarding the other suggestions, as the Government has run a number of bids recently and those ideas may be suitable to bid for in future rounds.
"It is important that we as a council look at all available means of funding projects and developments in Weymouth, Portland and beyond. The Levelling Up Fund is the latest of what I hope will be a series of opportunities for us to attain external funding for things outside of our standard capital budget that we know will make a big difference to residents.
"Dorset Council will be working closely with Weymouth and Portland town councils and local businesses, as well as Richard Drax MP. We will publish further details on each of these proposed projects over the coming weeks as we pull our bids together ahead of the mid-June deadline."
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