Want a council chamber? Dorset has one to spare.

Despite the pleas of some councillors to continue using the purpose-built room at County Hall the new Dorset Council says it currently has “no firm plans” to use the chamber for council meetings.

The majority of meetings so far scheduled for the new council will be held at South Walks House the former West Dorset District Council headquarters where the layout, noise from air conditioning and poor use of the sound system frequently makes it difficult to hear what is being said.

Planning meetings will be held there for the West Dorset and Weymouth and Portland applications while northern area applications will be decided at the Exchange, Sturminster Newton with Purbeck applications decided at Westport House, Wareham.

A spokesman for the Dorset Council, when asked about the future of the council chamber at County Hall said: “It is intended to hold full council meetings at South Walks House and some committee meetings in the first instance. The locations of meetings of various committees will no doubt evolve as the new council becomes more established. As meeting space is at a premium, it is very likely that some meetings will be held in the committee rooms at County Hall.

“As East Dorset District Council and North Dorset District Council did not have permanent council chambers in their areas and the Commercial Road premises have been transferred to Weymouth Town Council, the only other Council Chamber is at Westport House in Wareham. This will be the location for the majority of meetings of the Eastern Area Planning Committee and may be used for other meetings in the future.”

Despite the statement that the chamber is not likely, at the moment, to be used for council meeting it will still be used – for staff meetings and training, when needed.

The entrance block to County Hall also has another mostly empty area, the former Crown Court which is now only occasionally used for meetings.

To prevention deterioration both major spaces are kept heated and ventilated. The council chamber has in recently weeks also been given its annual spring clean.