Bridport Cohousing has revised its application for the second phase of its project off Mead Lane.

After comments from the parish council it has now scaled back its application from 28 to 19 affordable homes and has included more spaces to help with parking at the adjoining community hospital.

The idea of spaces for nine self-build homes have also been dropped from the application which is being recommended for approval at West Dorset District Council today. More than fifty people have written in to support the application.

No objections to the application have come from the Environment Agency, Natural England, Wessex Water or the Highways although Allington Parish Council say they strongly object to further development in the area.

In their comments to the area planning committee the parish council says:“Further development will affect the highways of Meadfields, Cherry Tree and Hospital Lane, more traffic due to more houses will affect the general traffic greatly…We do not believe that the Bridport Cohousing contract of only having one vehicle per household will either be enforceable or upheld which will then impact on the neighbouring estates. There are also big concerns with regards to flooding and drainage. The current sewers/drains cannot cope with the current levels, without adding further housing developments. Any further houses on this land is simply gross over-development of the site.”

Planning officers are supporting the development of houses and flats next to the first phase of the Cohousing scheme which was approved for 34 custom built houses and flats in June 2016, with an amended plan approved in January 2017. Work has not yet started on the site.

The new application is for a mixture of homes, mainly two and three -bed but also including one-bed flats.

The Cohousing project is described as a: “Community Benefit Society and was formed by residents of Bridport to design and deliver housing to suit their needs. It defines co-housing as an affordable, sustainable, mutually supportive community for local people. It is a type of collaborative housing in which residents actively participate in the design and operation of their own neighbourhood. It consists of individual homes alongside some shared facilities including dining space, activity space, kitchen, laundry facilities and a children’s play room.”

The site will include shared growing spaces between the terraced homes with residents running a car club to encourage households not to have more than one vehicle each.

In support of the application planning officers say that with 1,600 households in the district registered as being in affordable housing need, and with 414 of them having a Bridport connection, the site will make a real contribution to helping meet local demand.

The officer report says any effect on local roads would be minor: “Given the location of the site there would be no direct impact from the new dwellings on any existing neighbouring properties. There could be indirect impacts from the increased traffic and movement along Hospital Lane. However, any increase is not considered to have a significant detrimental impact on the amenities of occupiers of nearby properties."