CONTROVERSIAL plans to convert an empty factory building at Poundbury into a private hospital have been withdrawn.

Dr Mark Hughes had been seeking planning permission for change of use that would allow a 30-bed hospital to be opened in Paceycombe Way.

The scheme won the support of Dorchester Town Council but also sparked criticism from the Winterbourne Hospital which feared the impact of the proposed hospital.

Neighbours also raised objections and found a champion in Mayor of Dorchester Councillor David Barrett who voiced concerns that the hospital would cause problems for people living nearby.

Dr Hughes's agent Simon Rutter said the application had been withdrawn because of the issue of parking places on site.

He said: "All we want to say at this stage is that the reason we are withdrawing it is due to the parking numbers. We are revising the parking on site."

Dr Hughes, who lives at Bradford Peverell and attended a meeting of the town council's planning and environment committee, said his proposal would complement services at the NHS Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester. It would help reduce waiting times for people living in West Dorset and provide around 140 jobs. The plan had 83 parking places.

Objector Glenys Jones, who lives near the former Integrated Photomatrix photo processing factory, said: "Parking was an issue and that's what we knew about. We didn't have much else to go on because not enough details were given.

"We were worried about all sorts of aspects such as the boiler room and where it would be situated, and noise from machinery and so on.

"It seems a ridiculously intensive use for that site."