A PROPOSAL for eight homes on the site of an existing property in Preston Road, Weymouth has been refused.

The application is the second in the area to be turned down by planners in recent weeks.

The scheme, for the site of no 74, was refused by Dorset Council saying it would result in family homes with limited plot sizes which would be out of keeping with the character of the area.

Said a planning officer report: “The proposed development by reason of its layout, scale and proportion of properties would be an unduly dominating feature visible from Preston Road that would be detract from the character and appearance of the area. It would result in an overdevelopment of the plot in particular with its relationship with properties to the west with short and insufficient rear gardens.”

The proposal follows the rejection, by a planning committee, of a nearby application to demolish a detached bungalow and build a block of flats.

This latest application to be turned down came from Devon and Dorset Properties Ltd. It was for three two-bed flats and five four-bed houses, but had initially been for four flats and five houses. The houses would have all been four bed, with the flats two bed.

Papers with the application suggested that 16 trees could be lost from the site during development.

Weymouth town council raised no objection to the proposed scheme although there were more than 20 letters against it, raising concerns over the loss of a family home, overdevelopment, the effect on wildlife, additional traffic and the loss of the character of the area. Several said that many flats in the area, which had been created by redevelopment, remain unsold.

The company said that the site, which it described as possibly the largest development site in the road, previously had permission for redevelopment to create eight large 3-bed flats on top of  garaging and car parking courtyard.

The original permission expired with another three years granted in April 2013 for the development to start, which has since lapsed.

An agent for the developer said that the road between Chalbury Corner and Overcombe Corner has been characterised by many schemes for flats over the last 20 years – with nine blocks already in the road and two further sites with planning permission, or awaiting permission.