As of 6th August 2024, Dorset Council has granted Prior Approval for the change of use of Vespasian House in Dorchester from commercial business & service to dwellinghouses and has approved the development of 31 dwellings.
Some conditions of the planning approval include measures for noise attenuation which must be carried out before occupation, the parking facilities shown on the plans must be in place before the development is occupied to ensure highway safety is not adversely impacted upon, and there is a time limit of three years by which the development must be completed starting from the date of the Prior Approval.
Vespasian House, in Barrack Road opposite The Keep Military Museum, was built in the 1970s and originally housed government departments. Most recently it has been leased by the NHS for offices and also served as a temporary Covid vaccination centre.
