DORSET Council now say they have now secured full funding for the Weymouth rail station improvement project.

Cabinet papers for next week said that there was still a £400,000 shortfall on the 'gateway' project, which will cost almost £1m.

In a statement this morning the authority say that since the Cabinet papers for next week were published the funding has been found.

"Since the Cabinet report was written, the project has now secured the full amount of funding to make improvements to the railway station area of Weymouth which it is hoped will bring significant benefits to the local community," said the statement.

The total cost to deliver the improvements is £997,096 and includes a £450,000 grant from the South Western Railway Customer and Communities Improvement Fund. The remainder of the funding has been provided by Dorset Council, Public Health Dorset, Weymouth BID and Weymouth Town Council.

Cllr Ray Bryan, Portfolio Holder at Dorset Council for Highway, Travel and Environment, said: “I am delighted to say that full funding for this project has now been secured. The next step in the process is to obtain the required planning consent. If Cabinet Members agree with the recommendation in the report to allow the capital funding (above £500k) to be spent on this project. It means the ambition of improving this area for local people, commuters, visitors and businesses in the town is a step closer to becoming a reality.”

The Weymouth Station Gateway is a project looking at redesigning the train station forecourt through community and stakeholder consultation so that it becomes a welcoming, attractive and contemporary place.

It focuses on pedestrian access and safety as well as providing a sustainable transport hub for some bus services and bikes as well as providing better information on the local area and wayfinding for visitors. The design will also accommodate up to five rail replacement buses at any one time should the need arise.

The separation of public and private vehicles is designed to be simpler with one-way systems to improve the flow. Public vehicle access and transit routes will travel in front of the main station, while private vehicle will transit via the adjacent car park and use a separate exit route, allowing a choice of direction not currently available. A change in priority on Queen Street is designed to improve public vehicle exit movements from the station.