As part of our ongoing commitment to improving and enhancing the harbourside, we are making some changes to North Quay.
These changes are intended to compliment the public realm improvements we made to Custom House Quay in 2022. The scheme will increase the space available for pedestrians to enjoy the harbourside. It will also enhance the setting of the North Quay development site, making it more attractive to investors.
Everyone can have their say on the changes to removal of the bus lane and some street parking through a consultation which is available until 18 July.
The appeal of North Quay
North Quay is a highly valuable space on Weymouth’s Harbourside used by thousands of pedestrians every day. Historically, North Quay carried more traffic, but current levels have provided us with an opportunity to reduce the width of the road to create more room for pedestrians to move through and enjoy the harbour scene. We recognise how special the harbourside is and want to maximise the benefits to residents and businesses, as well as emphasising the appeal of the North Quay development site to potential investors.
Proposal
The scheme will:
- maintain a consistent design approach with other high-quality spaces around the harbourside
- increase the space available to pedestrians and reduce the carriageway width, improving pedestrian safety and accessibility.
- align crossings with natural pedestrian flows and replace puffin crossings with zebra crossings
- encourage reduced traffic speeds through people centred design
- incorporate benches and planting
- enhance the setting of the development opportunity at North Quay
Proposed scheme lay out
Download the proposal scheme layout as a PDF to zoom in and see full details. If you require this in an alternative format, please email: highwayimprovements@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk
Loss of car parking
To achieve wider footways, we need to remove some on-street parking. We propose to remove eight parking spaces and a motorcycle bay and install a loading bay to enable deliveries to businesses. We will also propose the removal of a bus lane that is no longer needed.
We understand that on-street car parking is increasingly in demand in Zone L and our residents’ parking policy is currently under review.
We will be consulting with the public on the changes to parking and other traffic regulations and will consider all feedback positive and negative before making a decision about whether to implement them. The consultation runs from the 26 June until the 18 July.
Have your say on the Traffic Regulation Order on North Quay
Future proofing
There is still uncertainty about what kind of development will happen at North Quay.
It is therefore important that any changes we make now:
- do not restrict options for future developers
- are long lasting
For this reason, the area immediately in front of the temporary car park, on the southern side of the road, will see minimal change and improvements will be concentrated on the harbourside and closer to the Town Bridge. We do not want to delay when there is the opportunity to make the improvements before summer 2026.
Why zebra crossings
Zebra crossings emphasise to drivers that this is an area of pedestrian priority, and they must always give way. Zebra crossings are more suited to lower speed, pedestrian friendly environments such as the harbourside.
Funding for the North Quay Improvements
This scheme will be funded through Government funding awarded to Dorset Council to regenerate Weymouth’s Waterside Economy in 2023.