Could Portland's New Ground be about to get a new tea room and visitor centre?

An application has been lodged with Weymouth and Portland Borough Council to request planning permission for the facility at land off New Ground at the Heights on Portland.

In documents submitted as part of the application it is stated that the proposed facility would employ two full time and two part time staff.

It states: “The tea room and visitor centre will serve existing visitors who park in the established car parking and viewing areas opposite the site. As a consequence the proposed development does not provide any additional onsite visitor parking and is considered unlikely to generate any material increase in traffic or harm to highway safety or cause additional disturbance.”

Previous planning permission was granted for a café and visitor centre at the site in 1995, but this was never built.

The documents state the tea room would not be visible from the coast, and the shop front would face north to take advantage of the views.

It would be single story and built of Portland stone under a gabled slate roof.

The site is close to King Barrow nature reserve and part of an area of grassland which is designated a Site of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI).

The Dorset Wildlife Trust will have their say on the application, as well as Natural England and the highways department at Dorset County Council.

But the applicants have produced their own botanical survey and biodiversity mitigation plan to support their proposal.

The planning statement reads: “The Botanical Survey concludes that the development is thought unlikely to impact on the floristic diversity of the grassland, as the part of the site to be used has brambles and sycamore and a more enriched turf.

“The Biodiversity Mitigation Plan identifies that the development will leave the best areas of grassland unchanged and proposes appropriate mitigation and management measures for the vegetation.”

The planning statement adds: “The development will have a minimal impact on the landscape and negligible impact on traffic generation and highway safety.

“The proposal will provide a valuable visitor and educational facility, create jobs and contribute to the local economy.

“Measures are proposed to manage and improve the sites biodiversity interest, which might not otherwise take place.

“The scheme satisfies local plan policies. The local planning authority is therefore asked to approve the proposed development as a benefit to the area.”

Portland resident Chris Mitchell, who runs a local ice cream business, said: "We have traded near to the site for the last few years and it's a fairly sensitive area.

"There is already me there doing refreshments and a visitor centre at the Portland Heights Hotel, so everything that is needed is already there.

"He is applying for something that is not really needed.

"Portlanders in general just want the island to stay as it is.

"It can't cope with more buildings and this will be another green area ruined."

Simon Saunders, the applicant, said: "I would just like to say we believe that our land at New Ground would be the ideal location for a tea room and visitor centre built out of traditional Portland Stone.

"It will be a good facility for locals and tourists using the view point car parks in front of our land.

"It will also give us the opportunity to manage the land for its best flora interests."

Comments can be made on the application by members of the public until May 26.