PROPOSALS to convert a former GP surgery in Weymouth into flats have been met by objections from neighbours and the town council amid concerns about overcrowding, overdevelopment and a lack of parking.
Proposed flats at the former Abbotsbury Road surgery were described as 'rabbit hutches' by one objector - while another said nearby guest houses are concerned the additional flats could affect customer reviews on social media.
The main complaint relates to a lack of parking, however - with only three spaces for the proposed seven flats - and parking said to already be a problem in the area.
The application, at number 24 Abbotsbury Road, is for five two-bedroomed and two one-bedroomed flats at the Edwardian end-terrace building. As reported, it was a community GP practice until the surgery closed in March 2019.
A total of seven objections have been registered from neighbours, in addition to one from local councillor Gill Taylor and another from Weymouth Town Council.
Other concerns include noise and lack of space for an outside bin store as well as neighbours not wanting more social housing.
"The area is already saturated with pokey social housing and it needs more decent flats for local first-time buyers to get on the housing market,' one said.
"We need affordable home ownership, not more crammed rentals," said another.
One, describing herself as a young mum of two, said: "Young people with families would urge the council to encourage developers to provide quality low cost housing. This would help struggling families get a foot on the housing ladder."
"I have lived in the locality for 20 years and over that time residential dwellings and Guest Houses are diminishing whilst the number of Housing Association properties continue to increase," another added.
Said another, "This area does not need any more small flats. There is a plethora of young couples whose housing need is desperate. The purpose of the plans is to maximise profit."
The plans were debated at a meeting of Weymouth Town Council's Planning and Licensing Committee on Tuesday evening and councillors agreed there are too many flats and too little space.
"I think they're being greedy," Councillor Graham Winter said. "If people have to rent, they shouldn't have to live in tiny little boxes - people deserve to have a bit more space.
"They're all extremely small," agreed councillor Gill Taylor. "The flats are all well below the minimum standard, there's no outdoor space and only three parking spaces for seven flats - so potentially up to about 10 cars . Parking is already difficult in that area. I know we need to reduce the amount of cars but I think this is over the top and overdevelopment."
"The parking situation round there is bad - I think five flats would be more than enough," councillor Christine James said.
The committee unanimously voted to object on the grounds of lack of amenity space, overdevelopment and lack of parking.
The final decision, however, rests with Planning authority Dorset Council.
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