WESTON-SUPER-MARE’S Streetlife users have been debating what the important issues will be in the town this year, with many earmarking Dolphin Square and the Tropicana as vital to securing a bright future.

Last year saw Banksy’s Dismaland exhibition attract thousands to the seafront, yet the future of the Tropicana remains unclear.

Streetlife suggested 2016 could be the year where pride is restored to Weston.

Starting the thread, Alan H hoped to see the dilapidated pier saved and the Trop renovated, but said Weston was a town where it ‘takes forever to get things done’.

William T replied: “Like you Alan I have lived here since 1999 and watched the Tropicana going downhill.The electorate are never consulted.”

Oli J took a more optimistic approach.

He said: “Birnbeck is close to getting the funding it needs to have the evaluation, and therefore the lottery funding secured, for its restoration.

“North Somerset Council is actually doing a lot of collaborative work with the Tropicana Trust, the lottery fund and the pier’s owner to facilitate all this.”

He also said it was good news that work had begun on Dolphin Square, before adding: “And the Tropicana, while not a pool, granted, is at least being used for art and social events for the time-being, which is great for the town.

“I’m not sure what the negativity is about. Things are clearly happening. What vexes me are the amount of buildings, hotel and shop, restaurant and flat frontages down the seafront and around town that have just been left by their independent owners to rot and fall apart without so much as a lick of paint. Blaming the council for everything is getting a bit boring now, when so much of what’s actually wrong with the town could actually be made better by the people who live here.”

The thread continued along a positive note, with Rockstar praising the much-heralded ‘Dismaland effect’ which boosted Weston’s economy.

But he also warned that the name Banksy drew the crowds, rather than arts or culture and said the Dolphin Square developers would need to attract big-name retailers for the complex to be a success.

He said: “The developers need to target retail chains to show the position and revenue that could be made from an attraction so near to the seafront.

“Fingers crossed that the future for Weston is a bright one, as the resort has so much natural beauty to offer.”