AS Weymouth’s derelict Brewers Quay has decayed over the years, so too have hopes that the Victorian red brick building could be revived to its former glory – until now.

A local firm is taking on the mammoth task of renovating and redeveloping the former brewery and is set to bring part of the building back into use as a tourist attraction, retail and cultural space.

Brewers Quay Weymouth Ltd will be turning the ground floor into a new and improved home for Weymouth Museum, alongside four retail units. Elsewhere within the building complex, the company is planning to build 37 flats, 12 mews houses and a gym.

Company director Jason Craig said he been in ongoing discussions with Weymouth Museum, and is looking forward to seeing the plans come to fruition.

He explained that the plan is to reconfigure the internal layout to give the museum greater prominence onto Hope Square. There will also be a new ground floor entrance with steps down onto the pavement, which would be located in the window of the unit formerly occupied by the Excise House pub.

Dorset Council has said the draft proposals – which are still in the discussion stages - “would increase the prominence of Weymouth Museum from Hope Square and align with the central objective – to deliver a major tourist facility.”

Planning permission was previously granted to a former owner of the site in 2020 but expires on March 16, unless work to construct steps to the new entrance can begin before this date.

Brewers Quay Weymouth is now seeking to remove planning red tape via a variation of consent request to Dorset Council, which would enable this work to go ahead while a revised planning application is drawn up.

Changes to the outside of the building are unlikely to differ from the previously agreed plans, Mr Craig said.

“We’re looking forward to delivering this project – it’s something I’ve been working on for some time and have been working well with the museum.

“We’re eager to get it up and running – things are moving forward but we need to start construction.”

At a meeting of Weymouth Town Council’s Planning and Licensing committee on Tuesday evening, councillors said they were keen for work to start as soon as possible to enable Weymouth Museum to relocate to the building, and were happy with the project in principle.

However councillors objected to the design and materials of the new steel and timber stairs, and raised concerns about disabled access. Their comments will be passed on to Dorset Council, which has the final say.

The design for the steps has already been approved as part of the existing planning permission, and disabled access will be provided at the main entrance at the front of the building.