Councillors to vote on Weymouth shopping centre becoming 70 bed hotel
Plans to replace Weymouth’s Colwell Shopping Centre with a 70-bed hotel and restaurant will be decided this week
A decision is expected in the coming days on a proposal that could transform Weymouth’s disused Colwell Shopping Centre into a new 70-bed hotel.
Dorset councillors will consider an application “in principle” to demolish the underperforming shopping centre and replace it with a hotel complex, complete with a restaurant and retail outlet.
The plans mark a fresh direction for the site, which has struggled to attract tenants or footfall since opening.
Previous proposals – including a shopping-only complex, mixed-use development, and residential apartments – have all fallen through.
A past plan for an 83-bed, five-storey hotel was criticised as excessive and met with opposition from residents.
The current design envisions a more modest, three-storey structure fronting School Street, with the ground floor featuring a dining area open to the public, a street-facing shop, and 11 guest rooms.
Economic development and tourism officials have backed the scheme, suggesting the hotel could bring affordable accommodation to the town centre.
In their report, they argue it may relieve pressure on housing stock by enabling some older hotels to revert to homes: “We want to encourage tourists without encouraging more homes being turned into holiday lets,” it reads.
Local ward councillor Jon Orrell has expressed support: “This site has not worked as an indoor shopping centre. Towns like Weymouth must adapt to changing retail habits.
“A well-designed hotel could help revitalise the area and support the town’s tourism sector.”
If approved, the development would replace a long-blighted structure with a potentially vibrant new addition to the town centre.
Notably, the scheme has received no objections from Weymouth Town Council, and Dorset Highways have deemed the absence of dedicated parking acceptable due to the site's central location and proximity to public car parks.