by Trevor Bevins, Local Democracy Reporter.
New outline plans for a gateway housing site next to Dorchester’s west rail station have met with an objection from town councillors.
The revised proposals include three parking spaces for 30 flats – with no mention of any disabled spaces or charging facilities for people who use mobility scooters.
Until now the town council has supported the proposals for the Great Western Cross and Maumbury Road site. Overall town councillors still back the redevelopment of the site, previously the former builders’ merchant, Gibbs & Dandy.
Cllr Molly Rennie told Monday’s evening town planning and environment committee that there was no option but to object to the proposals with the facilities not includes in the scheme.
Committee chairman Ralph Ricardo said the re-design seemed to have swopped the previous limited parking spaces in favour of a green area along Maumbury Road – warning that having so few parking spaces was likely to lead to what he described as a ‘bun fight’ among future residents for the few spaces on offer and would cause problems for parents with children and those returning home with shopping.
The meeting heard that the re-design included high levels of insulation, close to passive-house standards, with private courtyards and some of the flats having small balconies. Almost all of the flats are one or two-bed in blocks which vary from two to four storeys with several unit set aside for business and community use along the Maumbury Road side of the site in buildings previously used by Foot’s agricultural merchant.
Public comments on the proposal remain open until June 22 with the full details available on the Dorset Council website using planning reference 2026/01872.
