Stadium plan to go to extra time
By James Tourgout

Monday 14th November 2005

NEW talks on the future of the Wessex Stadium development could delay the start of work, it was warned today.

Retail giants Asda claim multimillion pound proposals for the site - including a supermarket and a new stadium for Weymouth Football Club should go ahead without further talks between councils in Weymouth and Dorchester.

The move comes as Weymouth Football Club prepares for one of the biggest games in its history with a FA Cup clash against Nottingham Forest tonight.

Now Martyn Harrison, chairman of Weymouth Football Club, has urged residents to write to West Dorset District Council stressing the need for the development.

Richard Burgess, director for environmental services at Weymouth and Portland Borough Council has estimated that potential new surveys to assess the need and best location for new shops in Weymouth could take at least a year.

A planning inspector urged Weymouth and Portland Borough Council to work with West Dorset District Council on the Wessex scheme when he released his report on an inquiry into the borough's local plan in March.

The recommendation came because the site is in West Dorset District Council's planning area, but many of the people who would use the supermarket, stadium and facilities would come from the Weymouth and Portland Borough Council area.

Now parties are waiting to hear what a planning inspector who chaired West Dorset District Council's local plan inquiry will say when she releases her report in January.

Mr Harrison said: "It all needs to be done as soon as possible. The idea was for us to be in for August 2007. We need to know by January 2006 as we will need to draw up detailed plans."

He added: "It is just frustrating, the time it seems to be taking. 'Asda are still very confident. All we can do is wait for January. It would not go amiss if a lot of townsfolk drop a line to the district council saying they would like to see the development there. "

Asda lodged representations with Weymouth and Portland Borough Council as part of the council's local plan review.

The supermarket stated that there was no need for joint working between the two councils as retail issues, the need for the shop and best site had already been explored.

But a report to the borough council's environment and conservation committee on November 14 has recommended that the representations be rejected and the local plan review go through for adoption by the full council.

Council responses in the report stress that securing a supermarket would only be possible with the district council's agreement as it is the planning authority and that surveys assessing the need for shops and best site would need to updated as they were last compiled in 2002.

Mr Burgess said that Asda are working on the presumption that the district council planning inspector would recommend allocation of the Wessex site.

He said the borough council was anticipating that the inspector would recommend that the two councils work together jointly on a policy for the site.

He added that it could take up to a year as consultants would have to be appointed, work carried out and reports drawn up.

If the councils work together successfully a joint policy would be agreed upon, on which planning applications could be determined.

David Evans, district council director of planning and environment, said: "The West Dorset local plan inquiry has fully considered the development proposals at the Wessex Stadium site.

"The district council is now awaiting the inspector's report, which is due in the new year.

''After this is received we are very keen to work to develop a sound retail strategy with Weymouth and Portland Borough Council."

Coun Ian Gardner, ward councillor for Chickerell on West Dorset District Council, said that it would benefit people in Chickerell if a development went ahead on the western side of Weymouth.