As I start this please excuse me for it being a long one. But bear with me. I’m hoping some people may agree.
I left Weymouth 8 years ago and am now living in Cambridge, a city that’s run by even more clowns that you think run Weymouth.
I couldn’t wait to get away from Weymouth, a town I’ve known since I was a kid, with a lot of family history in the town. In fact my two sons still live in Weymouth. I moved there in 1990 and brought my family up there, and over the years watched the town go downhill.
Living in Cambridge, I’m not too far from the Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Kent coasts and any spare time I have, I spend visiting the coastal towns around this part of England.
Seeing all these coastal towns gives me a view that I didn’t have when I lived in Weymouth. Sometimes, you’re so close to the elephant all you can see is grey!
Here’s my pie in the sky vision of how Weymouth could be improved, bring more people into the town, create more jobs and most importantly bring more money into the town.
What I’m going to say will ruffle some feathers, have people tell me I’m wrong, but here’s my opinion (for what it’s worth).
The Peninsula – for now, stop wasting money on feasibility studies and stop thinking about putting hotels and big flash apartments on there.
Instead, go back to basics. Sort the town’s toilets out and get them open, and clean! If you want people to come to the town and the beach, make sure the basic facilities are here. Tidy the town up.
Put the Tourist Information Centre back on the seafront where it should be. What idiot thought that moving it would be of benefit?
I don’t know about you, but I expect our streets to be safe. I understand that the police numbers have gone down, but the first thing they should be doing, is making our streets safe to walk in! Get bobbies back on the beat, and go in strong on the people that cause trouble in the town, the drug dealers etc. I’m not being funny, but that’s what their most important task should be. Then sorting out robberies etc.
The council could find a way of buying The Clipper, knocking it down and building a new theatre in the town to replace the Pavilion. That would entice more people into the town and would help me with the next part of the project.
Here’s going to be my most unpopular suggestion.
A lot of seaside towns have piers, Weymouth doesn’t. I’m going to propose that a new Amusement park be built on The Peninsula – yes, I understand people are going to say it’ll spoil the view. BUT, it will create a whole load of jobs and will entice more people into the town.
Yesterday, I was in a small seaside town called Hunstanton in Norfolk. It’s not as big as Weymouth, but it has an Amusement Park, Sea Life Centre, Swimming Pool and Roller skating rink on the seafront. And guess what? There were plenty of family people out and about spending money in the town. Think about towns that have an Amusement park on their seafront. Blackpool, Brighton, Southend, Clacton, Margate, Bridlington, Weston-Super-Mare and many others have them either on a pier or on the seafront. There’s a reason for it – they bring people and money into the town!
There’s no reason you can’t extend the prom around the whole Peninsula and make it into a bustling attraction on the front.
The other side of the harbour would be the next area I’d look at – the area where The Timewalk used to be. I would make that whole area a leisure centre with a swimming pool, roller skating rink and other things of that ilk. It would be somewhere for locals to go as well as holiday makers. Not forgetting, it would give people something to do on rainy days. After all we gert plenty of those.
The one in Hunstanton yesterday had loads of people in it. On Felixstowe sea front, they have a huge leisure centre right next to the pier. Both towns are smaller than Weymouth.
I understand that the money has to be found for these things. Perhaps Mr Drax and the Chief Executive of the council should get their heads together and could be seeing how a plan like that could be achieved.
Those few things alone would bring in a lot of work, and certainly a lot of money. I’m sure given time I could think of plenty of other ideas.
You have to face facts, the crowning jewel for Weymouth is the beach. Tourism is the best way of bringing money into the town.
One more small thing that I saw in Hunstanton yesterday that I thought was a nice touch. Outside showers close to the beach so that people can wash the sand off of their feet and bodies when they leave the beach. Oh yes, and plenty of toilets, that were not only open, but clean and not stinking either.
Like I said, it’s my pie in the sky thinking of just a few things that could be done to improve the prospects for the town. I understand the Civic Society are going to hate it. But the town is going downhill and needs some forward thinking.
And the tea shirt shop that’s closed. When are they going to get Goadsby’s or whoever owns it to tidy it up. It’s a disgrace at the front of the town.
I’m looking to move back to Weymouth, not because I love the town, but because my kids are there. Sometimes a run in with cancer focuses the mind a bit and makes you realise what’s important in your life. I’d love to see the town move on – and not with flash apartments on the prime property, but something that will bring a whole lot more money into the town on a long term basis.
That’s my tuppence worth. My apologies for being a bit long winded, but that’s my view. I will now hide while I get shouted at because I could well cause the view to be spoilt, and because the town may became busier. I understand that may upset the ‘nimbys’ as well.
And those of you that made it to the end, well done!
James Murphy
