Acting Dorset mayor Greg Howard said the 10-member committee had been formed to look at the future needs of the Bridport community, and would consider issues wider than just the hall proposal announced in January.

Cr Howard said population modelling suggested the population of Bridport would more than double by 2050, increasing from 1200 to 3000 people.

"If that's the case, then the current shopping centre is just going to be totally incapable of catering to that many people," he said.

"Unfortunately, the way land is currently zoned, the township there is only one undeveloped commercial block left in the main street.

"We will have to either re-zone some land or pull down some of the buildings that are there and try and enlarge the facilities that are already there to cater to that number of people."

Cr Howard said although there had been some opposition to the original proposal earlier this year, he believed most Bridport residents had been supportive.

The concept involved replacing the existing Bridport community hall and car park with a development that would include commercial tenancy, residential accommodation and a restaurant/cafe.

Cr Howard said the committee would be made up of representatives from a range of groups, including someone under 20, representatives from sporting clubs, two councillors and an older resident.

"There's a lot of people in Bridport, especially younger people, who support the project of the hall concept," he said.

"You need to be ahead of the game, not behind it."

Cr Howard said he believed the issue was one that affected the whole of the Dorset population, rather than just Bridport residents.

"If we were to go to some sort of referendum or poll or something like that, we would certainly be asking the entire Dorset municipality what they thought."