FOUR detached houses have been approved at Martleaves House, South Road, Wyke Regis.

A stables and a barn will go to make way for the new scheme – which had been opposed by Weymouth town council and some neighbours.

Cllr Kate Wheller told the area planning committee on Thursday that the whole site has been a source of contention with local people since it ceased to be a farm and turned to the holiday industry as its source of income, mainly because of extra traffic.

She said she was concerned that the development was being agreed when it was outside the defined development boundary and in view of the heritage coast, although, she admitted, it was now on the edge of a built up area.

The application is one of several which has been submitted for the site in recent years – with planning officers recommending approval for this scheme.

Agent for the applicant, Malcolm Brown, told the committee that although the site was just outside of the defined development boundary that did not mean the proposal should not be approved.

He said that the development boundary had been established 40 years ago and over the years the area had substantially changed and was now more built up than when the site operated as a farm.

The new houses will be to the north of the main house and the public footpath to the north with access via an existing entrance off South Road. The homes are to be arranged around a courtyard with each having a modest garden.

Weymouth Town Council objected to the proposal saying that the site is outside the development boundary.

Seven letters were sent to Dorset Council objected to the application claiming that four homes is too many for the site and that there will be an adverse effect on wildlife with the extra properties adding to traffic and parking problems in the area.