Entrance to West Rivers House (Boldwood House) off West Allington Bridport Picture: Google DORSET Council is to go ahead with flats in a Dorset property, although some may be too small to meet national minimum standards. The council’s area planning committee has agreed a proposal to divide four flats into eight at West Rivers House, 13 West Allington on the outskirts of Bridport town centre. The flats are intended for short-term emergency homeless accommodation. Planners heard that some will be 22 square metres – much less than the national ‘technical’ minimum standard of 37 square metres for single-bed units, although some of the West Allington units are listed as ‘studio flats’ for which there is said to be no national standard.
Almost 100 new homes have been approved at the Royal Manor school site, Portland - inset cllr Susan Cockings and cllr Paul Kimber AN outline application for almost 100 homes on the Royal Manor Arts College site, Portland has been agreed. It clears the way for the former school buildings to be demolished but does not yet allow building to start, apart from creating a site entrance off Weston Road. The buildings on the 2.5 hectare site have stood empty since July 2016. The Homes England application suggests that 25 per cent of the new properties would be affordable homes. It does not specify the sizes, which is determined at the later detailed consent phase, although there have been calls for more, smaller, two-bed properties and some flats.
SELF-CONTAINED pods for rough sleepers have been agreed for Weymouth s Park and Ride site. Initially up to 12 people could be accommodated on the Mount Pleasant site using the overflow car parking area close to the entrance of the site. Five further units could follow if funding can be secured by the Bus Shelter project, which will lease the area from Dorset Council. Dorset Council has agreed planning consent for a temporary use of the site, expected to be until the end of January 2028. The first phase, which could begin later this year, will see three purpose-built units, each split into four individual self-contained rooms. Each will have electricity and water, along with a bed, toilet facilities, shower – with a shared social area, kitchen and workshop/learning centre, all within a compound.
A ‘STARK’ toilet and shower block at a Buckland Ripers summer-only campsite will be allowed to remain all year, subject to conditions. The owners will have to change it from white to green, add to hedges and trees to shield it from view, and make a suitable access for people with disabilities. They will also have to draw up a biodiversity plan and actions to limit the effect on wildlife. Dorset councillors have approved the year-round application despite being told that the site owners had failed to comply with most of the conditions about the block after the 45-space camping site had been granted permission for use from June to September in 2019.