News and Events

Impact Study Primes Weymouth for Economic Benefit

14 March 2007

Artists' concept of the Weymouth Pavilion Quay development

BU's Market Research Group predicts a major economic boost to the economy of Weymouth if the town's Pavilion Quay is redeveloped.

The Market Research Group (MRG) at BU predicts that the future redevelopment of Weymouth’s Pavilion Quay could bring in over £11 million a year in much-needed income.

MRG was commissioned by developers Howard Holdings Plc to assess and quantify the economic impact of the Quay’s possible redevelopment in its broadest sense.

The project will potentially provide Weymouth with shopping, tourism, recreation and community facilities.

John Brackstone, who led the study, said that the development is likely to attract an extra 123,000 day and 110,000 overnight visitors.

The study recognises that the development won’t provide high-technology jobs, though it does suggest that the development will wholly support Weymouth’s place as a sub-regional service centre.

This, it says, fits well with the needs and development potential of the town.

“Our assessment brings together the latest information from the various tourism economic impact models, the Dorset and the New Forest Tourism Data Project and various qualitative surveys of affected groups in the locale of other developments,” said Brackstone.

“Improvements in the tourism offer and quality of attraction and accommodation are required in order to build on the natural assets of the area but our assessment shows that the balance of the development between commercial and residential is just about right for Weymouth.”

> Large image of the redevelopment programme External Link