Former Weymouth restaurant to be converted back into home
The owners of Mallams say the business has been in decline, made worse by the pandemic
Another Weymouth harbourside restaurant is to be converted back into a home.
The owners of Mallams at 5 Trinity Road, said that business had declined, made worse by the Covid pandemic.
Dorset Council has now agreed the change of use – which will see little changes to the building, on the south side of the harbour. It was originally two cottages dating from the early 18th century.
The majority of the existing building is already in use as accommodation on the first and second floors. The adjoining cafe has already been converted back to a home.
An agent’s letter to the council said:
“The market for restaurants in the town has dropped off in recent years and the large number of cafes has made the business unviable especially with the recent Covid 19 epidemic. The south side of the harbour is in shade for most of the day making the north side more attractive. The applicant is therefore proposing that the whole of the building reverts back to a single dwelling.”
Internal changes will include removing a partition between the ground floor toilets to allow the space to be used as a utility room.
Two residents had written to support the application and there had been no objection from Weymouth town council.
Weymouth Civic Society said that while it noted the building was in a residential part of the road it wanted to express its concern about the loss of shopping and hospitality uses in the area which, it said, contributed to the ‘vibrant harbourside character in this wider area.’