The borough planning committee were told on Wednesday that the existing building, last used as a cafe, will be knocked down by mechanical digger and the area re-surfaced. Other buildings in the area will be demolished later in the year, with applications expected in March.
The pier is being demolished above deck level to make it safer and to carry out work to strengthen the 1930s structure below. It had been hoped to start the demolition work at the end of January but it may now begin later this month. Demolition and other costs have been put at £35,000.
ALDI have upped the number of electric car charging points at their new supermarket site for Weymouth.
The company were asked to provide two points at the Mercery Road site when planning consent was agreed – but have now come back to say they will put in enough charge points for eight vehicles at once. Borough planning committee members were delighted with the news and approved the change at their meeting on Wednesday.
Aldi intend to build on a currently vacant plot next to the Medisave building, close to both Morrison and Sainsbury which will mean the company closing its store at the Jubilee retail park, transferring jobs to the new site. The application will include a new bus shelter opposite the store entrance in Mercery Road.
PLANS for 26 flats on the site of a former Weymouth amusement arcade have been agreed – although councillors say they are disappointed there will be no affordable homes.
Members of the borough’s planning committee were told on Wednesday that the scheme would not be viable if the developers had to meet the 35 per cent affordable homes target.
But despite the disappointment most of the committee agreed that the proposals would smarten up the area and see the removal of an ugly building to the rear of the Esplanade property.
The development will also offer 15 basement parking places and room for cycle storage – and at the insistence of councillors should also have electric car charge points.
Planning committee chairman Cllr Mark Tewkesbury joined the overall support for the scheme but said he was personally disappointed that affordable homes had been ruled out by a desk-top assessment of viability.
“I can’t help but feel that our hands are tied on schemes like this…we have young people wanting to stay living in the borough who have to go and live elsewhere.”