FEARS have been raised that the replacement of Weymouth’s Lakeside Superbowl site with temporary car parking, could remain as a car park for many years to come.

Owermoigne councillor Nick Ireland says he is disappointed that Dorset Council still do not have a definite plan for the site, which it owns, at a time when the town is short of affordable housing.

“It’s disappointing we don’t have a plan for the site… this could be a car park for a long, long time,” he told an area planning committee on Thursday.

He also claimed that the 57 new car park spaces would encourage more people to add to pollution by driving in to the town centre, rather than using what he described as Weymouth’s ‘perfectly adequate’ park and ride.

He referred to an Echo article which said the town was the 75th most polluted in the country because of heavy traffic.

READ MORE: Campaigners call for action on Weymouth air pollution

Preston and Littlemoor councillor Louie O’Leary, who proposed the demolition and creation of the temporary car park,  said that while he regretted the loss of a wet-weather attraction the temporary extra car parking was a better option than having a dilapidated building on the site.

Wyke councillor Kate Wheller took a similar view telling councillors it was a shame investment was not made in the building when it was a popular attraction.

Portland councillor Paul Kimber, also regretted the loss of the wet weather attraction, which he said had given a lot of pleasure to a lot of local people over the years.

“It’s a pity nobody could make a go of it – it’s a valuable site right in the heart of the town,” he said.

The site has been earmarked for housing with the potential of a small number of commercial units at ground floor level, supported by Government regeneration funding.

The planning application says that 57 new parking spaces, including four disabled parking bays, could be created once the building is demolished bringing the total spaces on the St Nicholas Street site to 149.