WEST Dorset MP Oliver Letwin has pledged his support to an expanding retail park as it awaits planning permission for the next phase of its development.

Mickey Jones, chief executive of DJ Property which owns the Link Park site on the Chickerell Link Road, gave Mr Letwin and local councillor Ian Gardner a tour of the site.

Mr Jones showed the latest developments at the site and what the site has to offer new business.

The tour came as Mr Jones and DJ Property wait for planning permission to be granted for the construction of 13 new units for the third phase of the development.

As reported in the Echo, the firm will invest a further £3.5 million into the site for the third phase, which would see the creation of an estimated 80 jobs. If planning permission is granted, it will see DJ Property reach its target of developing more than 50,000 square foot of new employment space before the end of 2015.

Speaking to the Echo, Mr Letwin said: “It’s very good to see new, high class buildings which businesses are able to use and provide jobs that are well paid, which in turn increases local prosperity.

“It’s obviously very important that Chickerell grows its private sector as the area expands with more housing, and provides shops and local services for the local, and that’s very difficult but hopefully this site will help achieve that.”

Mr Letwin said the Link Park and the expansion of Chickerell as a town would also benefit the wider area.

He added: “The growth of Chickerell is all part of a general pattern of growth in employment in west Dorset.

“We are very lucky in that we have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country in this area, but to keep that up and to keep unemployment down we have to keep creating more jobs and business.

“This park and the creation of more jobs will certainly have a beneficial effect on the surrounding area and in Dorchester. The prosperity of Dorchester, Chickerell and Weymouth are all interlinked so this park will benefit them all.”

Mr Jones said: “We are making sure that our local MPs know exactly what businesses require from properties in modern market places, and to understand what we are achieving here, “Hundreds more houses are being built in Chickerell and we have Link Park so the area is really booming which is great to see.

“We are now just waiting for planning consent for the next 13 units to come through, which is expected later this month and then we will begin developing it thereafter.”