Almost 300 extra homes have been given approval for Chickerell – including more than 100 ‘affordable’ homes.

The application, from local builders C G Fry and Sons, will bring 102 affordable homes to the site at Bank and Ridge Farms. The area currently has 1,600 on the housing waiting list.

Concerns about the lack of a new school and GP surgery led protester John Clarke to label the approval decision as “disgusting”.

In the event only one councillor abstained, the rest of those who voted, choose to approve the development.

Planning officer Jean Marshall said Dorset County Council was looking at between 350 and 400 extra homes to be built in Chickerell to trigger a new school. Chickerell Town Council has offered a site for a GP surgery.

Almost 30 letters had been sent to the district council about the development – with a handful of others expressing concern about rights of way issues.

The scheme has the backing of the town council which believe that extra homes will eventually bring the new facilities Chickerell needs and meet some of the demand for cheaper properties.

The development will see two new junctions off School Hill and another via the B3157 and Courage Way in the west.

It will also result in a new grass sports pitch, pavilion and skate park close to the site where a school may eventually be built on the east of the site, as well as an extension to the burial ground of St Mary’s.

The scheme will also have a series of drainage ponds, at least one of which is home to protected Great Crested Newts. These ponds are cause for concern for some although the Environment Agency has raised no objections.

Objector John Clarke said the development would overstretch local facilities claiming that Chickerell should already have four GPs for the 7,000 who live there – but currently only has one.

He said that while there had been promises of a new school there was no provision for this in the scheme and described the contribution of £360 for each new resident towards healthcare as “paltry.”

CONCERNS OVER FLOODING AND TRAFFIC

District Councillor for the area Jean Dunseith said she shared the concerns about flooding and was worried about the new main estate road being joined up with Courage Way, fearing what she described as ‘traffic chaos’ in West Street.

The other local councillor, Cllr Ian Gardner said the town council had supported the application.

He said he did not believe the buildings would have much effect on the view of the church and said that from the B road people could see the existing homes in Courage Way: “I don’t believe this will be any worse.”

Proposing the application be approved Cllr Simon Christopher said : “This is an imaginative scheme and I’ve concluded the economic benefits outweighs any landscape harm.”

The scheme will bring in a contribution of £1,739 for education from each home bigger than two-bedrooms. There will also be a contribution from the developer towards access roads and footpaths with further payments for the Weymouth Swimming Pool and Redlands Sports Hub although local Cllr Gardner said he would rather keep the money in Chickerell for its own sports provision.

Simon Coles, for Frys, said the company had been working on the project since 2013: “They have gone to great lengths to listen to what people have to say and making changes, accordingly.”

He said the 100-plus affordable homes would have “significant community benefits.”