Coronavirus: Weymouth pedestrianisation would be 'disaster'

More than 100 people protested against the plans on Wednesday morning

Pedestrianising Weymouth harbourside for 12 weeks would be a "disaster" for businesses and residents, campaigners have said.

Dorset Council said the measures would be introduced on Saturday, when Custom House Quay, Cove Street to Hope Square, and Trinity Road would close to traffic between 10:30 and 21:00 BST.

It said the move would enable social distancing to take place more safely.

More than 100 people protested against the plans at the harbour on Wednesday.

Under the scheme, parking would also be suspended between East Street and Town Bridge during the same hours.

James Farquharson, former chair of the harbour management board, said: "This is a disaster. It stops the harbour being a working harbour and will kill it stone dead."

B&B owner Peter, who did not want to give his surname, said he had concerns the closure would allow more people to gather along the harbour which would mean social distancing would be "non-existent".

"People already sit shoulder to shoulder on the harbour wall in the summer," he said.

Dorset Council said the plans for the harbourside were "based on conversations with many businesses and organisations"

Commenting on the South Harbourside Community Facebook page, Bob Clack said: "There are a lot of disabled people who rely on the parking spaces that have be removed."

Claudia Webb, chief operations officer at Weymouth Business Improvement District (BID), said: "People are frightened. They were promised a full consultation and it has not been forthcoming."

Dorset Council said access to the quay and businesses east of East Street would be unaffected, with access on Trinity Road for residents, businesses and the RNLI.

'Best fit' solution

Ray Bryan, head of highways, travel and environment, said the move was "not a licence to party, but a small, positive step for the hospitality industry".

Kate Wheller, chair of the harbours committee, said the measures represented a "best fit" and were "based on conversations with many businesses and organisations".

The authority said Covid-19 response legislation "does not require public consultation as we are having to respond very fast to changing guidance from government".

Of 105 comments received on the scheme, it said 95 were for the scheme, while 10 were against it.

However, a petition from objectors has, so far, garnered about 200 signatures.

Weymouth would be the first of several towns in the county to adopt similar planned changes.

These include the part-time closure of Shaftesbury High Street, an extension to the temporary closure of Cheap Street in Sherborne and pavement widening in Wimborne, Bridport and Blandford.