THE next phase of a major housing development in Weymouth involving up to 500 properties is being backed - despite more than 200 objections from residents.

Councillors are to consider proposals from Betterment Properties for further development at Curtis Fields off Chickerell Road.

Approval has previously been given for the first two phases comprising 180 houses and flats, offices and a shop.

It came after a legal battle which Weymouth and Portland Borough Council lost following a public inquiry.

The next phase is for a further 500 homes which would be built in phases on 19 hectares of green space further south, and west towards Lanehouse Rocks Road. Land further south will continue to be managed as open space including much of the area previously registered as a Town Green.

Councillors will be told the developer is prepared to make a significant number of contributions including off-site affordable housing, financial contributions towards primary school places, donating land to St Augustine's School and creating pedestrian and cycle links, highways contributions and support for biodiversity mitigation. The developer will also support facilities at The Marsh in the form of £200k for a skatepark, £35-£45k for a BMX track and £25k-£30k for a Parkour course.

Officers say these will help to mitigate the adverse impacts of the development and it should be granted planning permission, unless councillors believe the negatives outweigh the positives.

Councillors considering the outline application at a meeting on Wednesday (April1) will hear there has been many objections with more than 200 representations made.

Concerns include building on greenbelt land, affect on nature, increased traffic, loss of open space, and the fact the area is outside the development boundary.

Meanwhile, county highways have raised concerns about a new access onto Lanehouse Rocks Road and Sport England highlights a lack of facilities.

There are no major objections from nature bodies but Natural England is calling for a buffer between the development and a protected site.

Councillors for the area, Gill Taylor and Lucy Hamilton are against the scheme.

Cllr Taylor lists drainage, traffic, employment provision and community facilities among reasons for objections.

She said most of the land is outside of the development boundary and says delays in the local plan process have been 'outside the council's control'.

"Because of this the views of local residents should hold weight and not be ignored," she adds.

Case officer Darren Rogers says in a report that although the application is for land outside the development boundary he considers the principle of development is acceptable. It must be also considered in light of the fact there is no local plan in place so the council cannot demonstrate it has a supply of housing land.

He recommends approval subject to a raft of conditions.