PLANS have been approved to build ten homes on the site of a garage.

West Dorset District Council Development Control Committee approved the plans for ten houses on the site of Crossways Garage on Warmwell Road.

The outline application proposes to demolish the current buildings on the site and redevelop it in to ten houses.

Five of the houses will front on to Warmwell Road, with a semi-detached pair and a terrace of three houses. A similar layout will also be set into the site at a right-angle to the road.

The committee received five objections to the plans, objecting to the loss of business the development would cause, the fact that Crossways is already over developed and that it would cause a traffic hazard. There was also an objection from Crossways Parish Council as the development is not in keeping with properties in the area and that there was a risk of contamination from its former use as a fuel station.

The parish council also raised an objection on grounds of loss of employment land and that the junction would be a hazard on to the busy main road.

However, Cllr Nigel Bundy, who represents the Broadmayne and Crossways ward and is also a member of the committee, had no objections to the plans.

The plans were recommended to the committee as Crossways is a focus for development in the Local Plan and will provide much needed housing in a sustainable location.It was said the development will help support existing facilities in the village.

The report states that any loss of employment is considered to be ‘limited’. The plan will be delegated to the head of planning to complete an agreement for the provision of three of the houses to be affordable housing. The plans were approved with several conditions, including that it should be two-storey houses only. The plan was initially objected to by the highways authority due to the lack of an onsite turning facility but a revised layout will incorporate this, meaning highways now has no objections.