Weymouth Station Gateway-(copy)

Community Engagement

Weymouth train station will see some significant improvements as part of this project by transforming the train forecourt into a more welcoming and user-friendly place for visitors and residents of the town.

The Weymouth Station Gateway project improvements aim to benefit local businesses, encourage new businesses to the area and increase tourism by improving:

• The Visitor Experience
• Traffic and Sustainable Transport Infrastructure
• Links to Businesses
• Wayfinding and pathways through to the town centre and beach front

Where is the money coming from?

The total project fund is £596,000 which includes a £450k grant from the South Western Railway Customer and Communities Improvement Fund (SWR CCIF) and additional funding from partners; Dorset Council, Public Health Dorset, Weymouth BID and Weymouth Town Council. Dorset Coast Forum is leading on the project in partnership with the funding partners.

What will the improvements include?

There are no designs at this initial stage, however, the planned improvements include:

• Weymouth Train Station forecourt - this includes looking at the car park, drop-off zone, taxi waiting area, coaches area, improving pedestrian and cycle links and traffic flow within the forecourt. This does not include the station building itself or road traffic flow outside the forecourt.
• Creating an attractive walkway and cycle link from a narrow area which links two major business areas and runs alongside a section of closed rail line. Overgrown, run down and unkempt the area is prone to anti-social behaviour, meaning people don’t feel safe to use it, particularly after dark. With the support from Public Health Dorset we aim to transform this area to an attractive and safe bike and walk way. By integrating the closed lines with a community-led design we will showcase Weymouth’s rail heritage and provide a pleasant, safe access between King St and Jubilee Close.
• Improve sustainable transport links, including, bus, cycle and pedestrian access.

We will be working to make this a safer area and will include Dorset Police and the Community Safety team when developing the designs for this project.

How can I get involved?

The project will take place over two years and this first stage is to engage with businesses and the community to understand how the train station forecourt and surrounding area is used and how public realm improvements can help turn the Weymouth train station forecourt into a safer, more attractive place.

If you prefer not to share your view online, there is an information poster and survey box where you can complete a paper survey inside Weymouth train station and the Weymouth Town Council Offices on Commerical Road.

Your feedback is important to this project and we encourage you to have your say either via the link below or by completing a paper survey.

The closing date for this survey is the 31st August.