Weymouth North Quay council offices to be demolished

Staff moved from the North Quay site (pictured) to smaller offices in the town centre in April 2016

A former council office building which has been empty for almost three years is to be demolished to make way for new homes.

Weymouth and Portland Borough Council said it would work with Magna Housing to redevelop the North Quay site after a £4.5m sale fell through last year.

New affordable homes and accommodation for older people will be built.

Officers will now prepare a planning application to demolish the building, the council said.

Council leader Jeff Cant said the revamp was "a key part of our masterplan to regenerate Weymouth town centre".

"We have looked at a range of options, but believe progressing the development with Magna gives us the best opportunity to leave a legacy that will be of real benefit to the borough," he added.

"It will also help the council to secure additional grant funding from central government to cover some of the costs associated with the development."

He said details of the scheme were "yet to be worked up" and added a public consultation would be held as part of the planning process.

The sale of North Quay offices to developers fell through in July 2017 after it emerged the building was "sui generis".

In January, the government gave the go ahead for the former council office building to be turned into apartments.