Recently, alongside our partners Willmott Dixon, we joined businesses and community leaders for the launch of Our Weymouth Story – a shared narrative that captures the ambitions, strengths and future opportunities of Weymouth and Portland. The event brought together voices from across the region, spanning culture, education, marine industries, placemaking and local government, all united by a common belief: that successful places are built around a shared sense of purpose.
For Milligan, supporting places to define and articulate their story is not an add-on to regeneration, it is where regeneration begins.
Speaking at the launch, Tarah Gear, Milligan’s Director of Brand and Place Futures, explored the role that storytelling plays in shaping long-term regeneration. Her message reflected a principle that sits at the heart of Milligan’s approach: the most powerful regeneration tool is a compelling story. Before masterplans, investment strategies and development proposals, there needs to be a clear understanding of what makes a place distinctive, what challenges it faces and what future it wants to create.
The Weymouth Story highlights many of the town’s extraordinary strengths, from its maritime heritage, world-class sailing facilities and cultural assets, to its growing clean energy sector and commitment to education and skills development. Throughout the event, speakers emphasised the importance of connecting these assets into a single, shared narrative that resonates both locally and nationally.
Catherine Howe, Chief Executive of Dorset Council, spoke about the importance of ensuring that Weymouth is visible within the wider South West economy and attracting the right kind of investment to support inclusive growth. She described Weymouth as part of a wider regional story of abundance and opportunity, with enormous untapped potential.
John Till, Chief Executive of Thinking Place, challenged attendees to be bold in championing Weymouth’s future, highlighting the need for confidence, collaboration and leadership across the public, private and voluntary sectors. His message reinforced the importance of building momentum behind a shared vision and ensuring it is communicated beyond the town itself.
For Milligan, this conversation is particularly important because regeneration today rarely succeeds through a single flagship development. As Tarah explained, no one site can carry the burden of change alone. Instead, lasting transformation comes from a coordinated, multi-site approach that connects investment, places and people around a common ambition. Weymouth’s future success will depend not only on individual projects, but on how effectively they support a wider story about the town’s identity and aspirations.
This thinking increasingly shapes our work across the UK. Whether we are supporting local authorities, town centre partnerships or regeneration programmes, we start by understanding the story of the place. What are its strengths? What does it stand for? What future does it want to create? Only then can regeneration become truly meaningful and deliver outcomes that are grounded in local identity.
Weymouth has all the ingredients of a distinctive and successful place – remarkable natural assets, a rich maritime heritage, a growing economy and passionate local leadership. As discussions at the launch made clear, the opportunity now lies in bringing these elements together behind a shared vision and translating that vision into action.
At Milligan, we’re proud to be part of conversations that help places define their future. Because when a place has a compelling story, it creates the confidence, alignment and momentum needed to turn ambition into reality.
