Dorset Council has announced it is taking a second look at its development plans for North Quay and Weymouth Bowl.
This decision comes after a thorough evaluation process revealed that the applications the council received from potential development partners did not meet the standards the council had set for the development of these two prime real estate locations.
The council began the process of searching for a development partner in January 2024, following a decision made by the previous Cabinet to progress with a procurement process to redevelop land at North Quay, and the former Weymouth Bowl site.
The search for a development partner was diligent, starting with ‘soft market testing’ where informal conversations took place with developers to understand if there was an appetite in the industry for such a partnership. These conversations indicated there was considerable enthusiasm and the feedback from developers informed the next steps. This led to more in-depth commercial conversations with developers, which later fed into the formal application and bid stage.
Unfortunately, none of the applications received met the criteria set by the council. Councillors are now considering which alternative options are most suitable to achieve the objectives, particularly in the light of feedback from developers and the council’s advisers.
Cllr Richard Biggs, Dorset Council’s Cabinet Member for Property & Assets and Economic Growth, said:
“Dorset Council is steadfast in its commitment to developing these sites in Weymouth. True, we are not where we wanted to be at this stage, but the council’s role is to ensure any future development of these prime investment sites in Weymouth is of the highest quality, sustainable and represents value for money. The bids we received from potential development partners simply did not meet the high standards we had set at the start of this process.
“We have a strong future vision for Weymouth, to create thriving, sustainable developments which will regenerate Weymouth’s economy and meet the needs of the town and the surrounding area. That means any investment must bring long lasting benefits to the community and the council’s role is to ensure that happens. We have one opportunity to get this right, and we must stick to our guns to ensure our aspirations for Weymouth are met.”
The council will now take some time to consider the next steps and will announce its plans in the coming months.
