A PROPOSAL for container and waste skip storage has been approved for a farm site at Chickerell - despite concerns about traffic danger and noise.

The site, at Newlands Farm, Coldharbour, already has 23 containers in place with the owners wanting to add another 20 along with an area to store empty waste skips.

Residents and local councillors were unhappy about the proposals arguing that the site access, on a 40mph road where vehicles frequently travelled faster, could lead to accidents.

Dorset Council highways staff told the area planning committee that the proposal will meet regulations, provided the owner makes the recommended changes to the site access to improve visibility.

Ward councillor John Worth told the area planning meeting he remained unhappy with the use of the site and, in particular the access, in a place where there are houses opposite and no pavement.

Portland councillor Paul Kimber, who has relatives living in the area, said the long, straight road often resulted in vehicles travelling too fast.

“Suddenly they’ll come across this entrance… we have to make sure safety is paramount,” he said.

Cllr Worth attempted to persuade the committee to reduce the hours of operation at the site to 10am to 1pm on Saturdays and for it to remain closed on Sundays and Bank Holidays, but was defeated by a 5-4 vote.

A planning agent for the farm said there were no statutory objections to the proposal which met all planning requirements. He said that 20 containers were already on site, with proposals for 23 more, as well as the use of part of the site to store empty skips. He said he expected only to see a slight increase in traffic above the levels of when the site was used for farming only.

Weymouth Civic Society had described the proposals as an over-industrialisation of what should be an agricultural site. Said the Society in its objection: “We would expect that the additional storage and distribution involved would be increasingly liable to cause a nuisance in the neighbourhood of residential properties, with noise and disturbance from vehicle movements to and from the site. The use is incompatible with the general character of the area and contrary to the adopted Local Plan and the Chickerell Neighbourhood Plan, in which the site is designated as Land of Local Landscape Importance.”

Other objectors, including Chickerell Town Council, mentioned noise, verges being damaged by HGVs and the suitability of the road. One said the site was “basically a scrapyard.”