Weymouth Town Council is the qualifying body for the Neighbourhood Plan (NP) and determined that a Plan was required for the whole of Weymouth rather than individual Plans from each area. The Council decided that the Plan should be developed by a delegated Steering Group through a process of community engagement. Members of the Steering Group, seven residents and four councillors, represent different communities and interests across Weymouth. Steering Group members have supported regular monthly meetings, led the various theme and focus groups, helped compose our surveys, and supported a range of walkabouts and community events.
The Plan responds to resident’s concerns by addressing in planning policy terms the need for more affordable homes (especially social housing), better and local job opportunities, protecting and enhancing our natural and built environment and helping our communities thrive.
A major concern has been how the area responds to the Climate and Ecological Emergency. The Plan identifies overarching objectives supported by Supporting Environmental Targets in relevant policies which provide guidance to developers in addressing concerns and that this will be given weight in assessing planning applications.
Critical to Weymouth’s future is adequate sea defences. Dorset Council has commissioned work to produce the Outline Business Case to obtain funding from the Government for the necessary improvements to the Weymouth Sea Defences, without which the risk of flooding in the Town Centre will increasingly affect existing residences and businesses in the Town Centre. This Plan assumes that this work is successful, and that funding is obtained such that defences are put in place to ensure that the existing flood risk to the Town Centre is managed.
We’d like to thank all those who have contributed to the Weymouth NP. The names of those who have formally contributed their time and energy to producing the plan are on the following page. Six local schools have used our materials and have said what they want for Weymouth’s future.
The Regulation 14 Consultation provided valuable feedback on where the plan could be improved and critical feedback from statutory consultees and residents on the plan and its policies particularly relating to proposed site allocations. These responses have been captured, published, analysed and have resulted in changes to the NP. As a Steering Group, we have worked together to address the concerns whilst still maintaining the objectives of the plan derived from the early engagement with residents. We believe the plan is ambitious in its scope, and provides a sensible balance between shaping needed development and protection of valued spaces.
The Regulation 16 Consultation Responses, the Submission Draft of the Plan and supporting papers have been independently examined. The Examiner supported the plan proceeding subject to incorporation of his Recommendations in his report1. The Steering Group and Weymouth Town Council have accepted these Recommendations and they have been incorporated in the Plan. The principal changes are:
The Examiner commented that ‘it is a logical, very informative and comprehensive plan’ and that ‘it enables the attractive character and appearance of Weymouth to be maintained whilst enabling sustainable development to proceed’.
The Steering Group are very pleased that the Examiner has supported all the 49 Local Green Spaces (W10), all 5 of the Coastal Green Recreation Areas (W08), 4 of the 5 Incidental Open Space (W11) and all 6 of the Green Gaps (W09) protecting valued spaces across Weymouth.
The change of government, nationally and locally, has brought new intentions to improve the planning system and direct development. But these will take time to produce material benefits. The Weymouth NP provides a safeguard against unwanted development in the Weymouth Area. The Local Plan is out-of-date, will not deliver the homes Weymouth needs and is subject to challenge. Without the Weymouth NP there is a risk that developers will potentially build the wrong type of homes in the wrong place.
To come into force, the Weymouth Neighbourhood Plan requires a positive vote in the Weymouth Resident’s Referendum. The Plan will then sit alongside the extant Local Plan – where they conflict the new Neighbourhood Plan will take precedence.
Dorset Council are developing the Dorset Local Plan, this is unlikely to be adopted before Dec 2027. When the Dorset Local Plan comes into force it will sit alongside the Weymouth Neighbourhood Plan – where they conflict the new Dorset Local Plan will take precedence.
Lastly, but most importantly, we’d like to thank the residents of the Weymouth area for supporting our various engagement events, and responding to our surveys that have shaped a plan for all of us.
Cllr David Northam
On behalf of the Weymouth NP Steering Group
October 2025.
Weymouth Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group
Current Chair: Cllr David Northam, and Vice Chair, Colin Marsh.
Current Members: Rob Cheeseman, Lara Wood, Penny Quilter, Michael Bevan, Cllr Jon Orrell, Cllr Howard Atkinson.
Previous Chairs of the Steering Group: Sandie Wilson, Cllr Lucy Hamilton.
Previous Members: Cllr Colin Huckle, Graham Perry, Paul Appleby, Phil Watts, Paul Barber.
Members of the Initial Steering Group May 2021: Cllr Lucy Hamilton Chair, Cllr David Northam Vice Chair, Cllr Pete Barrow, Cllr Ann Weaving, Nick Spence, Phil Watts, Robert Cheeseman, Lara Wood, Sandie Wilson, Colin Marsh, Peter Dye Deputy, Penny Quilter Deputy.
Members of Theme Groups 2021-2023
Homes: Cllr David Northam, Peter Dickenson, Paul Barber, Phil Watts, Cllr Ann Weaving, Cllr Colin Huckle, Kevin Hodder (CEO East Boro Housing Association), Nigel Read (Development Manager, East Boro Housing Association), Paul Hoffman (CG Fry & Sons), Teresa Rabbett (Housing Enabling Officer, Dorset Council), Sue Prescott (Weymouth Community Land Trust).
Jobs: Cllr David Northam, Phil Watts, Steering Group members: Colin Marsh – Vice Chair of WNP Steering Group, Phil Watts, Adrian Imrie – Weymouth & Portland Chamber of Commerce (WPCC), Chris Wilson – Weymouth Area Development Trust (WADT), Graham Perry – President, Paul Appleby – WPCC, Helen Heanes – Dorset Council (DC), Cllr Jon Orrell, Cllr Ann Weaving, Cllr Peter Barrow, Rob Cheeseman, Jon Slope, Help & Kindness, Mick Archer – resident.
Environmental Sustainability: Rob Cheeseman, Colin Marsh, Penny Quilter.
Landscape & Greenspaces: Colin Marsh, Sandie Wilson, Rob Cheeseman, David Morphew, Paul Barber, Robert Turner (River Wey Society).
Community: Penny Quilter, Colin Marsh.
Members of Initial Steering Working Group Dec 2020 to March 2021
Councillors: Cllr Pete Barrow, Cllr Ian Bergman, Cllr Lucy Hamilton, Cllr David Gray, Cllr David Harris, Cllr Graham Lambert, Cllr David Northam, Cllr Mark Tewkesbury, Cllr Ann Weaving, Cllr Ken Whatley.
Resident Members: Paul Barber – Local Resident, Tracey Barter – Town resident, Haydn Beazer – Property Developer, Michael Byatt – Local Resident, Rob Cheeseman – Local Resident, Pauline Crump – Weymouth Civic Society, Peter Dickenson – Local Resident, Peter Dye – Sutton Poyntz Neighbourhood Plan formerly Chair, Steve Ellsworth – Chair of Friends of Castle Cove Beach Group, Maxine Foster – Local Resident, Tony King – Upwey Society, Colin Marsh – Sutton Poyntz Neighbourhood Plan, Sarah Moyle – Chair, South Dorset Ramblers Group, Graham Perry – Weymouth BID Director and BID Representative, also member of Weymouth Museum and Civic Society, Sue Prescott – Chair, Weymouth Area Development Trust, Penny Quilter – Local Resident, James Sewry – Local Resident, Nigel Sims-Duff – Local Resident, Nick Spence – W&P Chamber of Commerce, Rob Tripp – Landsdowne Square Residents Association, Sandie Wilson – Local Resident, Phil Watts – Local Resident, Claudia Webb – Weymouth BID, Anne Rose Weiler – Local Resident, Chris Wells – Local Resident, Jason West – Weyforward CIC, Lara Wood – Local Resident.
Council Members of NP Working Group Oct 2019- Dec 2020
Cllrs Gill Taylor, David Gray, Peter Barrow, David Northam, Christine James, David Mannings, Lucy Hamilton and Mark Tewksbury.
WTC Officer Support
Michele Williams, Sarah Hudspith, Ben Heath, Jane Biscombe, Clive Tuck, Rosie Osborne, Emily Brown.
External Support
Dave Chapman – Locality, Ms Rachel Noke & Martha Covell – ECA, Paul Weston – Community Consultant, Sara Parker – Dorset Coast Forum, Ryan Putt, Olivia Carr, Louisa Lyons, James Riley & Tim Fearn – AECOM, George Venning – Bailey & Venning.