An affordable homes scheme for young people on a tennis court site in Dorchester is being re-submitted.

Instead of the 19 homes for young people first proposed, the new plan has been reduced to 15 and the appearance of the block re-modelled.

The Dorchester Community Land Trust, which is behind the scheme, say the scale of the building has been changed and the footprint also moved to be further away from West Walks.

Historic England had expressed concerns about the building being close to the Walk, under which is the remains of the town’s Roman wall.

Dorset Council planning officers had criticised the previous design for not being in keeping with the conservation area because of its ‘block’ design.

The criticisms led to the scheme, which has taken three years so far, being withdrawn from the planning system earlier in the year.

The building has been designed to be as fuel neutral as it can be with high levels of insulation, triple-glazed windows and no gas appliances. An Ecology Report stated that it will provide a 'net gain' for biodiversity.

The tennis court site was offered to the Trust by Dorchester Town Council as part of its policy to help find affordable accommodation for local people and keep key jobs in the town.

The offer of the site came after the council decided to create new tennis courts on the opposite side of the Walks in the Borough Gardens, the previous courts having been unpopular with some because they were shaded by trees.

n When the original application was withdrawn in March, it was stated at the time the scheme may be re-worked and presented again to Dorset Council.

A Community Land Trust board meeting was going to decide how best to continue with the scheme.

Chairman of the community land trust Tricia Mitchell said at the time she was annoyed the plan was being withdrawn after three years of work because it was being recommended for refusal by Dorset Council officers.

“As one of the board members emailed me 'isn't it time that we started looking after the living instead of the monuments of the past’” she said, explaining that Dorset Council officers had a number of objections to the project.

She added: “I feel that if this town does not start providing homes for young working people that they can afford, it will die a slow death with only room for retired people.

“They need to consider where the nurses and carers will live. However pleasant our surroundings, they do not pay the rent."

Fellow Trust director Alistair Chisholm, who runs guided walking history tours of the town, also said at the time he was amazed by the reaction of council officers, the footprint of the proposed building having already been moved once to keep it away from the remains of the Roman Wall.

“They seem to be seeing things in that corner of the town I have never seen, and I doubt if anyone else has either, or thinks important compared to housing our young people - but we might be able to adjust the design so at least we can provide some flats there, rather than none,” he said.

“It’s disappointing for all of us who have worked on this for the past three years.”