Decision details

To approve the wording of the Harbour Revision Order (HRO) appended to this Notice based on the legal advice received and to approve submission of the HRO application to the Marine Management Organisation to amend the Open Port Duty at Weymouth Harbour, restricting access to vessels under 24 meters, enabling redevelopment aligned with the Harbour Business Plan and Government-funded regeneration initiatives.

The delegation for this decision was granted by Cabinet on the 19th of November 2024.

Strategic Alignment: The modification of the Open Port Duty supports the Council’s regeneration objectives for the Peninsula site, freeing space for leisure, residential, and commercial developments as outlined in the Weymouth Harbour Business Plan and Government funding commitments.

Operational and Financial Sustainability: Maintaining infrastructure for large vessels is no longer commercially viable or necessary, given the cessation of ferry services in 2015. The Harbour Revision Order enables cost savings by removing outdated infrastructure and focusing operations on smaller commercial and leisure vessels.

Economic Development: The changes will unlock significant economic opportunities by attracting investment in small-scale marine businesses, tourism, and public access improvements.

Legal and Safety Compliance: Revising the Open Port Duty ensures that the Harbour’s operations align with statutory obligations while mitigating legal risks from underutilised infrastructure

Maintaining the Current Open Port Duty: Rejected due to high maintenance costs for infrastructure designed for large vessels, which no longer serve a viable commercial purpose.

Pursuing Large-Scale Ferry Operations: Rejected due to the lack of demand, physical limitations of the harbour, and the absence of viable proposals since 2015.

No conflicts of interest declared.