The latest plans for the redevelopment of Weymouth's Brewers Quay have been approved – with a plea for developers to get on with the job as quickly as they can.

Borough council planners heard that the scheme, for 47 apartments, also guaranteed the town museum's future.

Space has also been allocated for a restaurant and a cookery school.

Work on the Listed Grade ll building and the Coopers Building, to the rear, could start in January.

Wednesday's planning committee heard that the main brewery building was becoming more dilapidated and was reported to be suffering from vermin.

The approved application will give 12 more homes than a 2016 application for the site, but will not generate enough profit to be able to include affordable homes – a situation agreed in an independent report from the district valuer.

Said Cllr Kevin Brookes: “ My plea to the developers is to get on with it and bring it back to life: it's what the majority of people want and we look forward to seeing it finished.”

He said he remembered the debates in 2016 about the viability of the site and said that the time for arguing about details was over and something needed to be done, as soon as possible, to protect the building for the town.

Versant (Brewers Quay) Ltd bought site in 2016. Frank Mountain from the company told councillors that the development represented a significant investment which would provide the site with a long-term future.

He said space would be provided in the scheme for what he described as “a flagship restaurant” and a cookery school, both of which would attract visitors.

Planning officers say the scheme allows for enough residents parking alongside the building with reserved spaces in the Newberry Gardens car park to the rear – although there would not be adequate spaces on site for museum, restaurant and cookery school staff.

Some former Devenish brewery equipment would be incorporated in the museum, including vats, a mash tunn, vertical conveyor and pumps. It total the museum has been allocated 1,250 square metres compared to 1,100 in the 2016 permission.

The only concerns about the new development related to additions to the top floors of the building to accommodate a lift shaft and, to the rear, an additional floor.

Historic England said the rooftop extensions would be “highly undesirable within the Conservation Area,” but the planning committee decided they did not detract from the redevelopment and would not be seen by most people.

The development will create 11 x 1 bed homes, 27 x 2 bed and 9 x 3 bed dwellings. Most are apartments but some are maisonettes across up to four floor levels in some cases.

Said a planning officer report to the committee: “The buildings have in the main stood empty for some years now and their condition has deteriorated over time. They are substantial buildings forming a key element of Hope Square and the area south of the harbour and for the buildings to deteriorate further and to remain empty would represent a real loss of opportunity.”