BUSINESS leaders in Bridport have thrown their weight behind proposals to site the town's new waste transfer station at Broomhills and say placing it there could make a light railway a reality.

The decision is one of the items raised in Bridport Chamber of Trade and Commerce's new manifesto, launched this week.

Mike Harvey, president of the chamber, said the manifesto was designed to set out the organisation's views, progress and achievements in relation to the major issues affecting the town and would be made available generally shortly.

He said it was hoped the document would particularly show the wide range of issues the chamber works on.

"We need to demonstrate that we are not just an organisation interested in parking and traffic," said Mr Harvey.

"Our difficulty is that Bridport is a wonderful place to live and work in, and visit, but like any well run business there is always fine tuning to be done and more importantly trying to anticipate future problems.

"So although there is not much wrong with Bridport we can always make improvements. It is too easy to be complacent."

The first issue the chamber is bringing onto the public agenda from the manifesto is the question of the site for the town's new waste transfer station. The new facility will also replace the household recycling centre in South Street.

Three main sites have been linked with the project in recent years: Gore Cross to the north of the town, Wych Farm on the coast road to the east, and Broomhills just off the main A35 bypass.

The chamber has thrown its weight behind plans for the Broomhills site.

Mr Harvey said: "In our view Broomhills is the best site for the reasons that it takes it out of the town and is virtually hidden from view from everybody. But the most fundamental point about putting it there is that it will be on land owned by Melvyn Sparks and partly, in return and because he wants to make a gesture to the town, he has agreed to build the Bridport-West Bay light railway."

He said the aim was to link the railway to the South West Quadrant and bus station, with a park and ride scheme off the bypass and railway to West Bay.

"The railway will bring West Bay and Bridport together," he said, adding that the eventual aim was to link to the main line at Maiden Newton.

Mr Harvey said it was particularly important to think about alternative transport links for the town given the world situation with fossil fuels.

He said: "Bridport needs a plan for the day the cheap petrol will disappear.

"Virtually all of the town's visitors come by car and soon that won't be possible. Many of the town's residents commute by car and soon that won't be possible.

"The town needs to set itself up for the energy crisis of the near future and the chamber sees itself at the forefront of that process."