I am appalled at the announcement that the Weymouth Town Council have appointed London-based design consultants to lead on creating a new seafront master plan.

Other than this being a waste of tens of thousands of pounds of council taxpayers’ money the town councillors should be capable of doing this themselves with local volunteers or simply dusting off the adopted Weymouth Town Centre Master Plan already produced.

Weymouth & Portland Borough Council spent some years creating a master plan that was widely accepted by councillors and the public.

So far the only part of that plan implemented is the station and the harbourside. Other parts of the town plan - including North Quay and the peninsula redevelopment - are still to be achieved.

It may well be there are little changes necessary on the Esplanade and if they were needed they should be financed by surplus income from the hotels and car parks through Dorset unitary authority.

Weymouth Town Council appears to be appointing lots of extra officers and trying to spend a precept that I believe is twice the level it should be.

Surely in a so-called cost of living crisis the town council should be slashing their costs and not intent on empire building.

Ian Bruce

Preston Road, Weymouth