Weymouth Town Council is a parish council for Weymouth, in the district and county of Dorset. It is the successor to Weymouth and Portland, after the 2019 restructuring of Dorset. The council covers Weymouth and surrounding areas, including Wyke Regis, Preston, Melcombe Regis, Upwey, Broadwey, Southill, Nottington, Westham and Radipole.
The Council operates a number of services for the town, including allotments, public events, parks, Cemeteries and managing Weymouth Beach.
Weymouth Town Council earned between £3–7 million in 2023–4, putting it in the top three most profitable parish councils.
History
Weymouth Town Council came to exist in 2019, after the County-wide restructuring of Dorset's local governments, and ensured a smooth transition of power of its services and resources. On 1 April 2019, Weymouth & Portland Borough Council was replaced by Weymouth Town Council.
Governance
Leadership Since its founding in 2019, the Liberal Democrats have acted as the largest party within the council. Cllr David Harris served as the leader of the Liberal Democrats from 2016 until 2026. In 2026, Cllr David Civil was elected by the council as the new leader of the council. CouncillorPartyFromToDavid Harris 14 May 201914 May 2026David Civil 14 May 2026Incumbent
Mayorship As a Civil parish that has self-described as a "town council" as per the Local Government Act 1972, Weymouth has a Town Mayor as opposed to a traditional chairman seen in standard parish councils.
The Mayor of Weymouth is elected to a one-year term. Mayors must be a councillor and be elected by councillors in a simple majority. Traditionally, the Deputy Mayor is considered Mayor-elect for the next year, however in 2023, Deputy Mayor Tia Roos did not seek election as Mayor. In 2020, Mayor Graham Winter served a second year during the COVID-19 pandemic, to ensure continuity of the mayorship. CouncillorPartyFromToGraham Winter 16 May 201913 May 2021Colin Huckle 13 May 202115 May 2022 Ann Weaving 15 May 202210 May 2023Kate Wheller 10 May 202315 May 2024Jon Orrell 15 May 202415 May 2025Caroline Nickinson 15 May 202513 May 2025David Harris 13 May 2025Incumbent
Committees and meetings Weymouth Town Council has four committees, which manage different sectors of Council policy and organisation. Those committees are the following:
Finance & Governance Committee Human Resources Planning & Licensing Environment & Services
Every committee meets approximately once a month, with full council meetings occurring every six weeks.
Services Weymouth Town Council operates a number of services throughout the town, focusing on tourism, local improvement and cemeteries. This is managed by the Council's Services committee.
Weymouth Beach
Weymouth Beach is a popular tourist destination, and was a frequent resort for King George III. Weymouth Beach is managed and serviced by Weymouth Town Council. Weymouth Beach's services are carried out by the Beach Team, a group of mostly seasonal staff who maintain the beach, with services including:
Deckchair, windbreak and sunbed hire schemes Toilet cleaning and maintenance Public advertising Accessibility schemes, including beach wheelchairs Lost and Found Dog enforcement
Weymouth Beach is known to be a busy and popular destination, with over 2 million visitors per year visiting. The beach, as a result, has the Seaside Award 2025. However, in 2025, Weymouth Central Beach lost the blue flag award, as the cleanliness of the water was downgraded from "excellent" to "good" by the Environmental Agency, as a result of sewage concerns.
Weymouth Town Council and RNLI Weymouth came under controversy in 2025 as the swim-up rafts on the coast were not present in the summer of 2025 for the first time since 2009.
Gardens Weymouth has a number of parks in the town, which have 3.6 million visitors per year, according to Weymouth Town Council. Each park is maintained collectively by staff, volunteers, and members of "Friends of Greenspaces", who raise money for a designated park. Weymouth Town Council operates 9 designated "green spaces". Three of their gardens, Greenhill Gardens, Radipole Park and Gardens, and Sandsfoot Gardens, have Green Flag status, designating them as high-quality parks which are well-managed and accessible.
Tumbledown Tumbledown Community Growing is a Communal Farm and Garden operated by Weymouth Town Council. The site is utilised for a number of community engagement activities, such as an Orienteering site. The farm also operates to grow crops, which is staffed by volunteers. The farm has over 130 trees in its orchard and has community allotments.
In April 2025, Mayor Jon Orrell and High Sheriff of Dorset Callum Bremner opened the Kestrel Barn, a new classroom building on the site of the farm to operate a Forest school. Among other donors, the Nuclear Restoration Services granted £85,000 towards the project.
References