Welcome to our exhibition of proposals for the remaining brownfield site at Mercery Road, Weymouth Gateway. The land has been an unproductive wasteland for 10 years. This is your chance to help us deliver numerous benefits for Weymouth. Please scroll down to find out more, and complete our short questionnaire before you leave.
LondonMetric Property and Avercet have been working hard to deliver a regeneration project at Weymouth Gateway worth tens-of-millions of pounds and hundreds of jobs.
In Phase 1, we brought you Aldi on the west of Mercery Rd (which opened in September 2020) and are in the process of securing permission to extend Medisave House adjacent to it. Combined, these represent c.60 jobs.
The Phase 2 site – on land east of Mercery Rd – is designated in the Local Plan for B Class use (light industrial/storage/distribution/office employment.) However, it has secured no interest by such occupiers despite regular marketing over the last 10 years!
In contrast there has been strong interest from retailers, which would enable us to create c.280 more year-round jobs on this site, along with 50 construction jobs and a further 50 jobs through economic stimulation.
To realise this potential, we have submitted a planning application to Dorset Council for a retail-led scheme (ref. WP/19/00778/FUL). It comprises:
If planning permission is granted, we could generate the first jobs on the site by Christmas 2021.
The proposed scheme will be of a high quality, contemporary design with numerous sustainability measures.
It uses a restrained palette of elegant materials comprising shopfront glazing, facing brickwork and white cladding panels with bronze coloured trims.
Entrance features include bronze coloured metal work and timber columns.
Our expert arboriculturalists and ecologists have designed a maintainable and wildlife-friendly planting strategy that will complement the existing street scene, retain the existing woodland and increase biodiversity value.
The Acer avenue along Mercery Road will be extended, and additional shrubs
will be planted to provide screening for neighbouring residents.
The south western edge of the site will feature native grassland suitable for reptiles, and a native hedgerow of Hazel, Dogwood and Spindle to help screen and define this border.
Naturalistic meadow planting, hardy shrubs and tough, tolerant Italian Alder and Turkish Hazel trees will give the car park form and seasonal interest, while a hardy Hornbeam hedge will screen some of the servicing areas.
Caucasian Lime will line Souter Way and Austrian Pine will create a feature at the main entrance. Additional accent planting will create an attractive frontage with colour, texture and year-round interest.
The external environment will comprise simple and robust materials, including:
To ensure this is a sound, viable and beneficial development, we have undertaken an extensive range of technical work including:
As a result of this work we have committed to a number of mitigation measures within our proposals, such as:
Our original planning application had included an additional retail space suited to a builders’ merchant/DIY operator.
Following submission, several key consultees including Weymouth Town Council queried the principle of the proposed retail use (A Class) on a site allocated for employment/light industrial/warehouse (B Class) use.
In response, we reduced the retail floorspace of our proposed scheme by 21%, added a fully-serviced site for a B Class occupier should one materialise, and submitted the revised proposals described in the preceding pages.
Meanwhile, we commissioned an independent, detailed assessment of the employment situation in the Weymouth area to test our views that a retail-led scheme is the right proposition for this site.
This came to a resounding conclusion that not only is it right but that a retail-led scheme is the only realisable way to unlock the investment and employment generation potential of this site.
Crucially, it will provide year-round jobs that Weymouth desperately seeks.
Before the pandemic, it was calculated that the jobs this scheme would create amounted to 25-30% of the additional jobs required in Weymouth.
Now they are needed more than ever.
We also commissioned an independent Economic Benefits Report which determined that the scheme will drive substantial economic and social advantages for the residents of Weymouth.
The following slides highlight some of the findings of these reports.
In the area, there is an oversupply of warehouse/light industrial sites
Weymouth Gateway is typically more desirable to retail than warehouse occupiers because of:
High retailer interest in the site and proposals, including: Dunelm, B&M, Costa, McDonald’s
Restricting the site to employment (B Class) use has left it an unproductive wasteland
for 10 years. Retail (A Class) use is the key to unlocking the site’s potential
A retail-led scheme will help establish a vibrant town gateway that draws visitors to Weymouth. We will optimise this with a community noticeboard that actively promotes the town centre and events
Local residents need jobs
In January 2020, 1,170 Weymouth residents were actively seeking jobs. Following COVID-19, by October that had grown to c.2,345..and rising
Retail jobs are desirable
They are year-round, permanent, often above Living Wage
Retail jobs are flexible
They suit many lifestyles including those of people with other obligations, enabling more
to become ‘economically active’
Retail careers
Weymouth Gateway’s named retailers have strong training and career progression programmes
Weymouth residents want retail jobs
50% of Weymouth’s jobseekers want customer service/sales jobs. When Aldi advertised 42
positions in Chickerell, 180 locals applied
Generate c.280 permanent jobs (225 of which would be provided by the named retailers)
Support 50 construction jobs over an 18 month build
Create a further 50 jobs by stimulating the local economy
Pump tens of millions into the local economy
Boost Gross Value Added (GVA) by £4.76m per year
Generate c.£6m in business rates in first 10 years
We hope you agree that these proposals will bring substantial economic and social benefits to Weymouth, including:
To deliver these benefits, we need to show Dorset Council that local residents support this development. You can help by completing this short questionnaire.