CROWDS have been flocking to enjoy a new town square in Dorchester.

Restaurants and businesses around the new focal point of Brewery Square have been full to bursting as a new era for the county town gets under way.

Andrew Wadsworth, director of Waterhouse which is developing the former Eldridge Pope brewery site in partnership with Resolution Property, said he was delighted to the response since the square opened to the public last week.

All five restaurants now open at the development were full over the weekend, while the Premier Inn hotel also achieved 100 per cent occupancy as people flocked to take in the new square.

Youngsters have also enjoyed playing in the multi-jet fountain that forms the centre of the square, which will form the hub of the completed £100million development.

Mr Wadsworth said the site had also been creating a stir online with positive comments and feedback had also been flooding in on the Brewery Square Facebook page, which has attracted over 6,000 followers.

He added: “On Saturday there was not a table free out of 450 restaurant covers.

“Carluccio’s, Nando’s, Pizza Express, Wagamama and Zizzi were all full.

“It bodes well for the retail that we have had such a terrific response.”

Mr Wadsworth added: “The hotel was also 100 per cent full, we couldn’t have wished for a more successful weekend.”

The new restaurants have created more than 100 jobs but Mr Wadsworth said of possibly even greater significance was the fact that the county town had its first main square open to the public.

Mayor’s praise for development

MAYOR of Dorchester Andy Canning was full of praise for the development and said it would help attract more people to the town.

He said: “It’s a great success and I think it shows the way forward for the town, providing something that we have never had before and that will bring new people into the town that would not have come here.”

Wine bar scheme for former post office

A CONTINENTAL wine bar could be coming to Dorchester’s main shopping street.

A planning application has been submitted to West Dorset District Council for a change of use of the former post office building in South Street that was last occupied by Starbucks coffee chain.

The submission is to change the use from restaurant and cafe to drinking establishment.

Members of Dorchester Town Council’s planning and environment committee considered the application as well as a letter on behalf of residents of Crown Post Court in Trinity Street voicing concerns over the impact on the character of the area and the neighbouring properties.

Councillor Molly Rennie said that members needed to balance the residents’ concerns with the authority’s desire to bring vibrancy to Dorchester town centre.

She said: “We have talked before about wanting our town centre to have more vibrancy so there is that element to consider.”

However, members were swayed by the submissions of the local residents and agreed to recommend refusal of the application, citing the impact on neighbouring properties.