Round-up of decisions and announcements from Full Council
A round-up of some of the key decisions and announcements made at Weymouth Town Council’s Full Council meeting on Wednesday 15th October.
Town Mayor’s announcements
Mayor of Weymouth, Cllr Caroline Nickinson, announced the winner of the annual carpet bedding design which features at Greenhill Gardens. Earlier this week she met with members of the Council’s Greenspaces Team, including the gardeners, and they chose Dorset charity the Lexi May Trust to have its logo set in flowers in the gardens in 2026.
Cllr Nickinson said: “The charity was set up by the family of Lexi who sadly passed away with a brain tumour in 2016 at the age of eight. They support children with terminal illness and life-limiting conditions throughout Dorset with the provision of memorable, fun, and special days out.”
Petition on palm trees
A petition was presented to the committee concerning the removal and replacement of two palm trees on Weymouth’s seafront.
During the meeting, Assistant Town Clerk Charmaine Denny said council staff have been working on a new option which could see all nine palm trees remain in their existing locations. This will be brought to Environment and Services Committee on Wednesday 29th October for councillors to consider and decide if they want to stay with the original resolution or change to the new option that will be presented.
In line with the recommendation in the committee report, the petition was referred to this meeting of Environment and Services Committee.
Weymouth Neighbourhood Plan
An update was provided on progress of the Weymouth Neighbourhood Plan (NP).
The examiner has completed his independent examination of the Weymouth Neighbourhood Plan, recommending 48 modifications to ensure the NP meets the ‘Basic Conditions’ and other legal requirements.
Full Council agreed these modifications which will be updated in the plan and then submitted to Dorset Council for the next stage, a referendum of Weymouth residents. Full details on the Weymouth Neighbourhood Plan, including the modifications, are available on the website.
External Audit Report
Councillors noted the clear audit report that relates to the Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR) for Weymouth Town Council for the year ended 31 March 2025.
Motion on event fees and charges
Following a motion put forward, Weymouth Town Council is updating its events fees and charges. Event day hire charges and set-up charges for community groups and not-for-profit organisations will be removed. Where an event is free for the public to attend, but stallholders/traders are charged a fee by the community groups and not-for-profit organisations, this event will still be treated as a community/not-for-profit event, not as paid entry. And equipment hire charges for community groups and not-for-profit organisations will also be removed, noting that liability for any costs associated with damage or loss will remain the responsibility of the organisation borrowing the equipment.
Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding request
A request has been received to allocate £30,000 of Weymouth Town Council CIL funding to the Weymouth Museum project.
The money will support an additional £300,000 of CIL funding from Dorset Council. Together these will form the match funding element of a multi-million-pound bid for lottery funding to support the new museum at Brewer’s Quay, making it a top attraction in the area, providing education, entertainment, and preservation of Weymouth’s history.
To view the agenda papers for the meeting, visit www.weymouthtowncouncil.gov.uk/committee
ENDS
Notes to Editors
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