LYME Regis Guildhall was packed to the rafters for a town council meeting debating a new ‘masterplan’ for the area around Monmouth Beach.

Members of the town’s bowling club voiced concerns after rumours suggested the club would be ousted under the proposals.

But a report showed millions of pounds could be generated from redeveloping council assets in the area.

The report said leases on council-owned land in and around Monmouth Beach car park expire in 2015, with the exception of the bowling club’s leases.

This, the report said, ‘creates an opportunity for the council to consider what it wants to achieve out of these sites’.

Sites under review include the bowling club and car park, harbourmaster’s store, boat building academy, the gig club site and car park, WDDC trailer park and Monmouth Beach car parks, power boat club, and the foreshore area.

Options for alternative use and income from the bowling club showed 48 car park spaces or 12 chalets could be developed on the club site, producing a potential one-off sum of £1.5m and a possible annual revenue of £55,200 or £24,000 respectively.

Options of 24 car park spaces or four chalets were suggested for the club car park, producing a potential one-off sum of £500,000 as well as a possible annual revenue of £26,700 or £8,000 respectively.

Cllr Mark Gage said: “I was extremely keen that we were absolutely honest and open about the discussions the working group had and that we put that in the public domain as soon as possible.

“This has all taken time and there are no decisions made here, no done deals. It would, I think, have to be the subject of a lot of public consultations.”

Cllr Anita Williams stressed the plans were in their very early stages, saying: “The one place we haven’t ever heard a suggestion that we will not be renewing the bowling club’s lease is in this chamber.

“The bowling club lease runs to 2019 anyway so we couldn’t do anything [until then].”

But Cllr George Symonds said: “It doesn’t say ‘option three - leave alone’, so people can only see what’s in front of them. If that was addressed differently there wouldn’t be so many people here.”

Cllr Terry O’Grady added: “I would want the bowling green to remain in situ as it’s a valuable part of the community. I would not want the Monmouth Beach area to turn into a concrete jungle.”

The principles encouraged discussions with leaseholders and said any release of capital from the sites should be used to fund projects for the benefit of the town.

The principles also specified that leases expiring in 2015, except for Monmouth Beach car park, should be extended for 12 months to coincide with the development of a masterplan; and where possible the plan should be linked to the development of other council assets such as Strawberry Fields.

Members of the committee approved ten principles from working group discussions and work on the proposals will be deferred until after the general election on May 7, but plans are also expected to be mentioned at the full council meeting on April 1.