A FARMYARD at Piddlehinton is to be used for a container based self-storage business which could create up to a dozen jobs.

Some residents and the parish council complained that the development could lead to an unacceptable increase in traffic.

Despite the comments Dorset Council has given consent to the application at Little Puddle Farm, Piddlehinton and also approved the conversion of a former dairy building to a farm office.

The demolition of an agricultural barn on the Rectory Road site has also been approved with three homes to be built in its place. One will be four-bed and the other three-bed.

Piddle Valley Parish Council had objected to the changes claiming the open market housing would be outside the development boundary on the edge of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and that the container storage business would not be in keeping with the surrounding rural landscape.

Said a statement from the parish council: “it potentially brings with it an unacceptable increase in all forms of traffic from the east through local villages, and its 24-hour operation could disrupt the peace and quiet of the rural location and increase light pollution.”

Similar objections were also lodged by local residents. Said one: “This business will add to the increasing amount of heavy traffic through the village and along Slyers Lane. The roads are too narrow and already too busy. It is not in accordance with our Neighbourhood Plan and unsuitable for the rural location it would occupy.”

In approving the application a Dorset Council planning officer said that the scale of the storage business had been reduced in size compared to the original proposal and would only be single storey and shielded by landscaping from direct view.

Highways officers had not objected to the plans and the council officer deciding the application said the impact on the road network was considered ‘acceptable.’

“With conditions ensuring new planting, controls on lighting and proposed containers colour and layout, the landscape impacts of the proposed storage containers on the surrounding countryside and adjacent AONB are considered to be acceptable,” said a report summary.

It added that the site already had planning permission for homes and the new designs could be considered an improvement on a previous, approved, application.