COUNCILLORS have agreed to remove a town centre advertising structure - a move described as “a disaster” by the director of a west Dorset theatre.

Lyme Regis Town Council confirmed it would remove the hexagonal structure at Bell Cliff, currently used by the Marine Theatre for advertising.

Councillors had initially proposed replacing it with flowers, but two single posts will be installed in its place instead.

Speaking in the public forum before last week’s council meeting, former town councillor Lorna Jenkin, said: “I was a trustee for the theatre when that was taken over.

“It was put up by the council prior to it going over to a trust. The idea was to stop delivery vans backing down Bell Cliff.

“If you take that down, you are going to deprive the theatre of very important advertising.”

Last month, Cllr Brian Larcombe proposed to remove the advertising board, subject to full council approval. Cllr Larcombe believed removing it would reinstate views of the sea. Speaking at last week’s meeting, he said: “There is plenty of advertising without that column.

“You only have to spend a few minutes there at peak time so see they do not actually read it. It always was in the wrong place. This is overkill in the wrong place.”

Cllr Derek Hallet described the structure as “a dreadful thing” and said the sooner it was the removed, the better.

But Cllr Richard Doney and Cllr Jeff Scowen asked if the council would be willing to offer another site for the Marine Theatre to advertise, but the pleas fell on deaf ears.

Cllr Scowen said: “We are still going to have an obstruction there anyway.

“I do not agree that they have plenty of advertising around.

“I think we should offer them something to replace it. They need all the help they can get. It is sending out the wrong message. We must give them something.”

Clemmie Reynolds, director of the Marine Theatre, said: “To be honest it would be a disaster for us, as it is our only central space to advertise that is solely for the theatre. We have another small board right over near The Cobb, but the central spot is key for the main footfall in the town of visitors and locals. We are very confused about the situation, as apparently it was the council’s idea in the first place.” The theatre had it made, at quite a substantial cost.”