Weymouth harbour railings to be removed as work on walls begins
The railings will be replaced to keep the wall standing until 2060
A section of harbour railings along Weymouth's iconic harbour walls are to be removed and eventually replaced in an effort to extend the wall's life.
Planning permission was given the go-ahead on Thursday (November 16th) and will allow for the alterations, which will see the railings removed, moved back slightly and then replaced.
The section where the railings will be removed stretch from Weymouth's Town Bridge, and along the former Weymouth and Portland Borough Council (WPBC) offices.
The wall being worked on has been described as "batter than some other harbour walls" due to its position away from the sea and large vessels berthing.
However, cracks are beginning to appear in some sections of the wall, with plants poking through the cracks, weakening the structure further.
In total, 235 metres of railings will be taken out so that vital work can be made to patch up and strengthen the wall, known as Wall 4 and 4i, which runs along Westwey Road.
The project will cost around £1 million, but is expected to extend the life of the harbour wall for nearly 40 years, strengthening the wall until at least 2060.
As a result of the works, partial road closures will be in place whilst the work is carried out, and boats in the harbour will be moved from berths where the wall will be refurbished - though a timetable for this has not been agreed yet.
Dorset Council will also be held responsible for the demolition of the old WPBC offices, which have been delegated to Hanson building company to carry out.
Similar work being done to Wall 4 and 4i is set to be carried on a lower section of railing along the western end of the wall, which will be coupled with repairs to the harbour ladders which run along the area.