Weymouth revamp could see bowling alley demolished

A former bowling alley could be knocked down as part of plans revitalise a seaside town.

Dorset Council has submitted a planning application to demolish the MFA Bowl building on St Nicholas Street in Weymouth.

Situated near the harbour, the ten pin bowling alley closed down in 2019.

The authority said it had made no firm decisions on the site's future, although a previous scheme suggested 59 flats should be built there.

Andrew Parry, the council's portfolio holder for property and assets, said the building's demolition would "contribute significantly" to plans to regenerate the town's waterside economy.

"From the £19.5m Levelling Up Funding and other grants we've secured, Dorset Council is investing big sums of money in Weymouth right now," he said.

The local authority made an additional contribution of £3.5m towards the redevelopment scheme in November, to be spent on new homes and a new leisure-led waterfront complex.

In December, demolition started on the nearby former Weymouth and Portland Borough Council offices at the North Quay site.

The site, which had been empty since 2016, had a number of failed proposals.

Work is expected to be finished around Easter and the site will be used as a car park while it is marketed for development.

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