THE Colliton Club in Dorchester is planning to create an outside haven for smokers.

A patio area at the front of Colliton House, near County Hall, is intended to make use of 'dead' space and to provide a canopy to shelter people having their nicotine fix from the rain.

The club has put in an application to Dorset County Council's planning department to get the go-ahead for the scheme.

Manager Neil Gate said: "Outside the Colliton Club is the only area that anyone from County Hall can smoke in. Obviously the general public can smoke wherever they like outside, but it's a disciplinary offence if you work for the council and smoke anywhere else on council-owned land."

He added: "The area will have heating and lights, we were hoping to have it in time for the start of the smoking ban but now hopefully we'll have it in time for winter. It is waiting for planning permission."

Spokesman for the county council Penny Sydall said: "The Colliton Club is creating an area outside the club which will be away from the movement of staff where smokers will have no impact. It will be a patio on a grass bank that is between the club and the car park, away from windows and people walking past."

She added: "The restrictions on smoking for county council state that smoking is not permitted on any part of the premises or entrances managed, leased or owned by the county council at any time.

"The Colliton Club, although it is a separate members' club, is owned by the council so this policy does apply but the policy also says that premises are defined as any building or substantially enclosed public or private area and this patio area won't be enclosed. So it is fine within the policy."