A SECOND Portland former school site has been approved for housing.

The details of a 48-home development for the Southwell Primary school site have been agreed by Dorset Council – nine will be ‘affordable.”

It comes after the council gave the go-ahead for the Royal Manor Arts College site which could bring up to 98 homes.

Both sites have been un-used since 2016.

The 1.3 hectare Southwell Primary School site, off Sweet Hill Lane saw the majority of the buildings demolished in the past two years.

Council planners have now approved the details of the appearance, layout, landscaping and scale of the development. Outline, or in principle, permission for the site was given in 2017.

Ward councillor Paul Kimber says it was sad to see the loss and demolition of “a lovely school that was serving our local community,” but says there is a desperate need for housing in the area, although, as a Labour councillor he argues that it was time to return to again provide social housing.

The detailed permission has been granted to Dorchester-based Koori Ltd, and includes which trees are to be protected and the retention of a wildlife community garden.

The site will have a mix of two storey houses, mainly 2 and 3-bed, with access off Sweet Hill Lane in the south east corner of the plot . Two flats are shown directly in front of Longstone Close.

The layout shows a conventional estate design with houses and apartments fronting a loop estate road within the site, with the majority of the homes having rear gardens backing onto the site boundaries with adjacent two storey and single storey dwellings and their respective back gardens.

A Dorset Council report says there is a high level of housing need on Portland for quality accommodation which the site would help meet.

It says nine of the homes will be delivered in partnership with the Portland Community Land Trust and will be available as affordable dwellings while the remaining units will be available for open market sale. There has been fears in letters to the council that some will become second homes.

Portland Town Council has supported the application and has asked if solar panels and the highest level of insulation can be included as part of the measures to tackle climate change. Some electric vehicle charge points are already in the design.

Comments made during the consultation stage included that too many homes were being proposed for the site, although numbers have been reduced from a maximum of 58 to 48 during negotiations; that local shops and other facilities were too far away; that the development would add to parking problems in the area and neighbours might suffer a loss of light and privacy.