NINE flats on the site of a Weymouth upholstery workshop have been refused.

Dorset Council has rejected an outline application for the triangular site at 12 Queen Street, opposite the junction with Stanley Street.

The application, written months ago, says the current workshop user is planning to retire.

A letter to Dorset Council on behalf of the site owner says the change could improve the area and provide additional homes: “The site will soon be vacant. A tired looking structure could be demolished and new building raised with flood resilient construction. The land is in a sustainable location with shops, doctor’s surgery, pharmacy, train station all nearby. There are good footpath links and flood risk will be minimised.”

The Dorset Council report on the application said that the loss of an employment site could not be justified, and the housing development would be detrimental to the nearby Conservation Area.

“The flats would be very small, lack adequate amenity space and outlook as well as overlooking neighbouring property contrary to policy,” said the report.

It claimed that eight of the flats are indicated to be 1 bedroom and on average around 50sqm in floor area with one proposed for 2 bedroom and 100sqm.|

Weymouth town council has raised no objection to the proposal although the town’s Civic Society objected saying that there was insufficient parking in the area, that the designs were inappropriate for the area, that there would be overshadowing and overlooking of homes and a lack of amenity space.