New Pavilion/Pier Plans, what do you think?

In today's Echo the plans for the redevelopment of the Pavilion/Pier are unveiled. The draft master plan includes:

a four star hotel
a marina
new homes
theatre
something they call a landmark building (a mobile phone mast perhaps?) :shrug:
a square
a community performance open space (for a performance of 'Singing in the Rain'?)
World Heritage visitor centre
new ferry terminal
shops, pubs and restaurants and .....offices! (council offices again by any chance?)
car parking of 800 spaces of whch 400 would be for residents (of the new homes or of Weymouth residents generally?)

Maybe I am being pessimistic, but there doesn't seem to be much in the way of amenities for local residents. It all seems geared towards the wealthier visitors that we are not so likely to get being a 'bucket and spade' family holiday resort. Why couldn't they incorporate some useful amenities, such as an ice rink or something to keep the local young people entertained throughout the winter?

Housing on the pier hardly seems to be appropriate given its position within the resort and although it may all look good when new, what will it look like in 20 years time? The last thing that Weymouth needs is buildings that end up looking shabby and out of place - i.e. like the present council offices. They made that mistake once before, let's hope they don't repeat it.


Link to the Echo article: Echo - Pavilion plans

Link to Council's website where the plan can be downloaded in .pdf format:
Council plan for Pavilion


Feel free to express your views here, whether you are a local or a visitor. :)

Pg 43 subsidised loans for bicycles....

Now why has that not been implemented for the vast majority of people working in Weymouth. I would be very surprised if the local council does it for its present employees at the moment.

The other issue on cycling to that area of Weymouth is the fact that there is not a single cycleway (the nearest being Rodwell Trail, which I am sure is under utilised by people going to work in the town centre) . You can not cycle on the actual Esplanade due to a bylaw. You have to contend with the old tramway along the harbourside. And that is not mentioning the cars and tourists who get in the way. Not to mention the extra traffic if there is 800 car park places (not sure how many are there at present) . Even if not more places, the places are going to get used much more than present if there are more amenities. And I am sure I read somewhere that the council wanted to reduce the traffic on the Esplanade as it detracts from one of Weymouth's finest assets, which is the Georgian seafront.

Meant to keep it short... :unsure:

Well the proposals are certainly going to increase traffic along the Esplanade and even worse will increase traffic on the already gridlocked King Street and roundabout there, not to mention adding to the existing chaos on the other roads all around those areas.

Right from the start locals suggested more community amenities for the residents which would also serve the holidaymakers. As always, the council are more interested in money so that they can waste more. To me, that plan smacks heavily of revenue generation without any real thought for existing local businesses or residents as it doesn't really cater for either.

Sure, the pier/pavilion needs some tidying up and the area could be quite an attraction, but only if it's in keeping with what Weymouth already has. We have a lovely Georgian seafront, and the whole area is largely unspoilt historically (apart from North Quay) so why spoil it with a huge landmark building, hotel or housing? The impact on the rest of Weymouth could be catastrophic!

I'm no civil engineer, but surely such buildings on reclaimed land are not a good idea, particularly in a location vulnerable to the extreme high tides.

A rebuild of the original Pavilion/Ritz would be better. :)

A landmark building. Hmmm. Like Portsmouth's new Spinnaker Tower?

Gervald

we could have a webcam of our landmark building, just like this

Webcam

Or Dublin's Needle?

Dublin's Needle

Yay! Councillors are on the side of the local residents! :)

From today's Echo regarding the Pavillion/Pier Plan - Councillor Birtwhistle:

"What is in this for local people? The Pavilion? The Jurassic visitors' centre? Not a lot. A four-star hotel? Luxury flats? They're not much good.

"I suppose there's a walkway so local people can walk round and see the luxury flats to see how the other half lives.

"The marina's not for local boats. There's nothing for local people. We're not seeing what we'd like to see."

full article:
dorsetecho.co.uk - new pavilion plan under attack again

Protest Rally Over Pavilion Plans (Dorset Echo)

Protest rally over pavilion
By Mary Griffin

READY TO PROTEST: Line dancers Liz Davis, Rick Winterburn, Paul and Jo Barrow, and John and Jean Mercer
HUNDREDS of line dancers, ballroom dancers and youth theatre supporters are rallying people to march against the development plans for Weymouth's Pavilion site.

Armed with a 3,000-strong petition, line dance teachers will lead a protest walk on Saturday demanding plans for the new complex be changed.

Paul and Jo Barrow, who have been running Weymouth group Borderline Scuffers for 10 years, fear the new Ocean Room will be too small for all their dancers and may not even have a dance floor.

Mr Barrow, 62, said: "We want to get as many people as possible to come with us and hand over the petition to the council.

"There's a strength of feeling that this project at the Pavilion site is getting out of hand and growing into a bit of a monster." The couple, of Newberry Road, Weymouth, run line dancing classes in the Ocean Room up to three times a week and stage regular shindigs there throughout the year with more than 150 dancers.

Mr Barrow said: "They are saying the new community room will be between a third and half the size of the Ocean Room. We just won't be able to use it."

The Borderline Scuffers are joining forces with Portland line dancers Fineline as well as local ballroom dancers for the protest walk.

They are also inviting youth theatre groups to join them but say the protest will welcome everyone interested in the Pavilion redevelopment.

Mr Barrow said: "We want this protest to cover the entire Pavilion project and we intend it to be inclusive.

"We are trying to make it a colourful event.

"We don't want it to be a nasty demo, just a way for local people to show their feelings.

"The Pavilion plans are on show at the arts centre and they're asking us to have our say, but the question is will they take any notice?"

Mr Barrow expects hundreds to join the march this weekend, but hopes there could be thousands.

The team will be stationed near the White Hart pub and Debenhams on Saturday morning encouraging people to sign the petition.

At 2pm they will march along the seafront and hand the petition over to Coun Brian Ellis at the Pavilion.

Marion Pullen, who is also involved in the protest, said: "I would encourage people to join the rally.

"I am particularly concerned about the Ocean Room. A number of people have called up who I had no idea actually used the room."

Try my vision for the Pavilion site (Dorset Echo)

DEVELOPERS have been urged to go back to the drawing board to consider a stunning alternative vision for Weymouth Pavilion.

Top Portland-based designer Mark Anders has produced his own 3-D masterplan for the £100 million Pavilion/marina after seeing the scheme designed by Howard Holdings.

He has condemned the proposed bland and elitist' design and has urged Weymouth and Portland Council to seriously consider fresh ideas for the site during the ongoing public consultation.

Drawing inspiration from the original Victorian Pavilion and hustle and bustle' of Weymouth's past he has used his award-winning skills to create a model of how the development should look.

He said: "The Pavilion is something that everybody is talking about but from what I've seen the proposal just isn't for the benefit of the public.

"Instead of writing a letter of protest I thought I'd use the skills and tools I have here to offer something different and realistic.

"I want to show them there is no excuse for uninspired, generic design and anything is possible on this site if they have the imagination."

What he has come up with are drawings and a computer-generated 3D model based on a rearrangement of the form, space and shape of the current proposals.


The designer, whose company Anders Design specialises in the styling of luxury yachts, wants Howard Holdings to use the model as a starting idea to help them think again and produce a more adventurous design for the site.


He has repositioned the heritage centre so the Pavilion is the main focus of the plan, created a raised promenade under which retail units can flourish, repositioned the hotel and continued the existing promenade so it encircles the complex and opens up public space.

He says that overall his stylish design creates a better balance between the retail, accommodation and public spaces.

He said: "I've lived in Weymouth most of my life, went to school here and feel really special about the place. If people want facilities like the Ocean Room to be maintained then we should be able to do it - there really is no such word as no' as far as design is concerned.

"In the early stages the developers claimed the plans would be integrated, create jobs and reflect the heritage of Weymouth but I see very little of that in what they have proposed. The apartment blocks are generic, there are no big open spaces people can use and the heritage centre is in the wrong place.

"Overall it is biased towards people who can afford apartments, and Joe Public is not going to be able to afford that expensive housing."

Anders Design

To see the alternative in detail go to the above link.

Thanks for posting that Ainge. I've got the Echo now and it is great to see that further in that article Mark Anders mentions the original Pavilion more. Clearly he has our history and heritage in mind with this and I think that's great. :)

I would love to see something along the lines of the old Pavilion - it had so much character and an appeal of its own. When I went to see the public exhibition I commented on the fact that anything too modern would be out of keeping with our Georgian seafront and in 20 years or so time, it could look an eyesore.

My son suggested something along the lines of the Sky Dome in Toronto, Canada in having an ice rink where the surface could also be covered with a ballroom type floor to make it multi-purpose, and then round the outside of that 'room' have retail outlets and possibly hotel rooms above. He suggested an oval shape for the building, but that kind of thing would be even better with Mark's idea of the ship design. I love the idea of the covered walkways - even on a summer's day it's nice to get out the wind.

Whilst at the exhibition and talking about an ice rink, which would encourage our local youngsters off the streets and give them something to do, particularly in the winter months, a lady visitor was saying about how they used to skate there in the old days. Another lady joined in the conversation of what she remembered of the old Pavilion and the activities there. It does sound like it was quite a hive of activity in its versatility and with some thought and consideration of what worked well before, I think it would be beneficial to everyone to include such things in this new development.

I also like Mark's idea of moving that monstrosity of hotel/apartments (if we have to have such things on that site) to the harbourside. At least the land there has been reclaimed a bit longer than the site where Howard Holdings would have it! (Surely 25 years or so is not long enough for land to be completely stable to take the weight of an 8 storey construction?) Far better would be to replace the present council buildings with a hotel instead. ;)

Well I received a letter from WPBC about my comments (nothing specific) and about the meeting scheduled for last night (29th January). Then I heard on the radio that it has been postponed due to the number of local people expected to attend it. I think this shows just how much public interest this has generated, although where else other than the Pavilion could they hold such a large meeting?

I''''ve not got the Echo for either yesterday or today to see exactly what it was all about, so if anyone could enlighten me I would appreciate it.

Anyone want to attend the rescheduled meeting with me when it happens?

Sign up here if you do :)


I forgot to add that there is a website: Our Weymouth all about the plans for the Pavilion/Pier

This post has been edited by Debby on Jan 29 2007, 09:01 PM

According to weymouth.gov.uk
Last night’s meeting to discuss the regeneration of Weymouth’s Pavilion and Ferry Terminal was adjourned. The meeting has been rescheduled for this Thursday (1 February) at 6.30pm at the Pavilion Complex.

:writing:

So the Pavilion is big enough!!! unless they are going to hold it in the car park.

Thanks for that Ainge :)

I don''t know what it was I heard on the radio then :errm:

I was a day ahead of myself thinking it was Tuesday yesterday and I got it wrong about it being at the Pavilion, it was at the Guildhall and the letter I had from the council says that too! :banghead:

The letter also says that a detailed record of all comments made at the Public Consultation will be available to view on the council''s website. When I eventually found mine, (listed under different Respondent and Representation numbers to what the council allocated me in the letter :rolleyes: ) they had only included two comments I made and stuck them under ''Miscellaneous''! :o I made a lot more than that!

I read a lot of other people''s comments and there are reams of them against it for one reason or another, divided into separate documents. Yet there is only one document for those in support of it.

I guess last night showed the strength of feeling among the locals against these plans. It''s about time the council really listened to what the people of Weymouth are saying.

So now they are going to use the "underused, too big for needs" existing Pavilion for this meeting due to the number of people expected to turn up. Well, here''s a suggestion for them - keep causing controversy over our town, heritage and what the locals want and hold all council meetings at the Pavilion, invite all members of the public to attend and have their say in matters. That''ll ensure there''s a need for the Pavilion to at least be kept the size it is now ;)

Well, what a fiasco at the Pavilion and how typical of the majority of councillors to go against the wishes of those that they are supposed to represent.

One councillor stands out as a hero, or rather heroine, on behalf of the people. This lady really does represent the resident''s views and I have known her do it many times. She is a great lady and I think they should chuck the rest of them off the council and leave the decisions to her.


So here it is, history about to repeat itself in the form of an incompentent, uncaring council, as it''s bound to go ahead now following Thursday''s committee''s recommendations. It will be: knock it all down, build a monstrosity to ruin picturesque views and look out of keeping with the rest of Weymouth. Then in a few years time the public toilets will be far more attractive than that building.

They did it before when they knocked down the old High Street and Tudor House and replaced it with the present hideous council offices. The public conveniences are more attractive than that..........






and a lot cleaner too!

Well, they''re both full of F*****g turds if that''s what you mean. :rolleyes:

They''re bound to give this shit the go ahead so that they have something modern to show the world come the Olympics.

A town run by umbeciles for the benefit of imbeciles ....... just like Poole.

Would I ever mean such a thing? :D

Come the Olympics, it won''t be modern, it''ll be just another eyesore like that other building. Sure, it''s an honour for Weymouth and Portland to host the sailing events, but it''s only for two weeks. A quick boost in the local economy it may be, but it won''t be lasting.

I think maybe we should have an ongoing thread on the forum, a shame list, and add all the things that have been taken away from us and our heritage, or things added that are just plain ridiculous but have been forced upon the local residents by uncaring councils over the years.

Too late for Poole....it aint what it used to be :(

Do it. ^_^

OK, I will do something that the council don''t do - I will listen to what the members want and do it! :P

In case anyone''s interested, there''s a new website created by the developers (Howard Holdings) of the Pavilion/Pier site where they say they will publish up-to-date information which is factual and accurate to keep us informed.


Weymouth Pavilion Development

If their logo drawing is anything to go by the whole thing will look a complete and utter mess, an eyesore even when new. :(