The fight over what could have been a new pedestrian access to the Dorchester Prison site continues.

It has become the centre of a row over whether or not the 200-home development within the wall of the former jail, becomes in effect, a gated community.

West Dorset councillors voted by a margin of one against a resolution to approve the conversion of a former stable to a house in Glyde Path Road – but then failed to come up with a reason to reject it.

After struggling to find a valid planning reason for rejection the committee deferred the application for further investigation and to hold more discussions with the developers.

Dorchester councillors, and others, argued that if the stable were converted it would cut off a potential pedestrian access to the homes planned for the five-acre prison site – turning it into a gated community.

Cllr Stella Jones claimed that for safety reasons a second access was need. She said that in the event of an emergency North Square was the only way in and out of the site.

Several speakers claimed that the decision to approve the original application for conversion of the prison, other building on the site, and new homes was partly agreed because councillors believed that developers, City and Country, would deliver the pedestrian access.

Cllr Robin Potter, who chairs the town council’s planning committee, said that on reflection he had been naïve to believe that the pedestrian route would be created.

The district council planning committee heard that the pedestrian route had never been formally included in the planning permission, or any other agreement because, at the time the developers did not own the Glyde Path Road building.

Planning officers had recommended the committee approve the conversion of the building into a small one-bed home with kitchen-diner.

City and Country only bought the house, for around £35,000, earlier this year.

Their agent, Adrian Fox, said that it was viable as a house but would not be viable if an archway was put in to allow a pedestrian access to the prison site.

Planning officer James Lytton-Trevers said there was no reason not to approve the application for conversion which he said was “sensitive” to the building, retaining many of its features and fitted in with other homes in the road.

Dorchester resident Linda Poulson told Thursday’s West Dorset planning committee that the pedestrian link had been talked about since the prison development was proposed and said that anything which alleviated having all the access in North Square should be welcomed and would help integrate the development with the town.

Said another resident, Andy Stillman: “We are building a gated community bang in the middle of Dorchester, the very thing we said we didn’t want to begin with…what you are doing if you agree this is block a pedestrian access forever.”

Town clerk Adrian Stuart said the access was mentioned in a design and access statement in 2017 and said that to approve the application would, effectively, create a gated community, something which his council opposed.

City and Country’s spokesman Adrian Fox said the pedestrian access had not been included in the planning application because the company, at the time, could not guarantee it as it did not own the building.

“The route is not an obvious ‘desire line’ to or from the town centre…but if an arch was created it would leave the building too small to be converted into a home,” he said.

Said Cllr Robin Potter, who chairs Dorchester town council’s planning committee: “It is important that this prison development has a link through to the town …the big aim in this development has been to avoid having a gated community.”

Cllr Stella Jones said that had she known a gated community would be created the planning application for the prison site would have been opposed.

“If there was an emergency in North Square what would happen? There would be no way out at all,” she said.

After 15 minutes of trying to find a valid reason to reject the application the committee agreed to defer the application for further talks and an investigation into the history of the proposals.