Creating a ‘Wapping Wharf-style’ street food hub in the middle of Weston is still a possibility, but nothing has happened in the past year when the idea was first raised.
The empty land at Dolphin Square was earmarked as part of a major redevelopment project for Weston-super-Mare that would take years, and when that was announced a year ago, council chiefs raised the possibility that there could be a ‘meanwhile use’ on the site, which is between the redeveloped Dolphin Square centre, and North Somerset’s own council building.
But since then, progress on sorting out both a short-term and a long-term future for the land has been slow, and it remains empty.
A year ago: Development site where hundreds of homes planned could become another Wapping Wharf
A year ago, North Somerset Council chiefs heralded a deal struck with Homes England as a major step forward to get thousands of new homes built in Weston. The council had been trying to take control of the publicly-owned land, and eventually and finally did so in March last year. In April, they announced they had big plans for the land at Dolphin Square, and several other sites around the town that they now owned.
And in the meantime, while masterplans were being drawn up, council chief Mark Canniford proposed the idea of a ‘meanwhile use’, which could see temporary shipping container-based bars, eateries and restaurants being brought in, like at Wapping Wharf on Bristol’s Floating Harbour.
But since then, nothing has happened. A two month consultation on the masterplans for the sites took place in April, May and June last year, and almost 700 responses were received during the eight-week exercise.
The overwhelming message from those consultations was that further engagement was needed with local communities, before plans for up to 1,500 new homes and new jobs were created on the land at Dolphin Square and around the town, while the key priorities for respondents were that affordable homes be built with sustainability at their heart.
“By developing on our own land, we can deliver things that the private sector won’t,” said Cllr Mark Canniford, North Somerset Council's executive member with responsibility for placemaking and economy. “At the same time, we can generate income to fund other priorities that residents want to see us deliver.
“This also demonstrates that we’re doing everything we can to meet the government’s national housing targets, reducing the risk of unplanned and less sustainable development taking place in other locations. However, the desire to undertake further engagement on some of the sites demonstrates the importance we place on hearing what local communities have to say and considering all views.
“Thanks to everyone who took the time to respond to our consultation, which has shaped the development programme going to full council next week. It’s important to stress that some of these sites may not progress to development after further discussion and investigation. Any that do will be subject to detailed individual consultations, so residents, businesses and organisations including parish and town councils will have plenty of further opportunity to have their say on our plans,” he added.
A spokesperson for North Somerset Council said they were still open for more 'meanwhile uses' on Dolphin Square. “We worked hard against intense competition to secure £20 million investment from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund as part of our ambitious placemaking vision for Weston-super-Mare," she said. "We’re now putting in place strong plans to maximise value from this funding. Projects include making improvements to the Tropicana, Marine Lake, Birnbeck Pier, Grove Park and the town centre.
“Recent years have seen substantial investment in the town centre to support our placemaking work including the improvements at Alexandra Parade, the Italian Gardens, Revo in the former SeaQuarium, SEE Monster, The Sovereign, Marine Lake, Heritage Action Zone work and a year-round programme of cultural activities.
“Longterm plans for Dolphin Square are being considered as part of our development strategy. The programme, shaped by an eight-week public consultation that ran between April and June 2022, was endorsed at a Full Council meeting in November 2022. Work is continuing to promote town centre sites, including Dolphin Square, and bring forward for mixed use development.
“In the meantime, Dolphin Square has been used for various reasons – ad-hoc over-flow parking, such as for Weston Carnival, and to host an art installation during the recent GLOW Festival. The council remains open to discussions with potential partners for other ‘meanwhile uses’ and these continue to be investigated and sought out," she added.
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