DEVELOPERS have urged residents to back their multi-million-pound scheme and ‘raise the bar for Dorchester’.

The Simons development team behind the Charles Street project faced a grilling at a meeting organised by Dorchester Civic Society and the Dorset Association.

Around 60 people heard that the planning application for the shops, hotel and flats scheme had been pushed back another month and would be submitted in February.

Between 800 and 1,000 people gave feedback at a public exhibition last month and their views will be taken into consideration as part of the application, residents heard.

It was announced that new offices for West Dorset District Council – to be built as part of the project – will be adjoined by a new public park in South Walks.

The civic building would be the first part of the development to go up and would require less archaeological excavation than the rest of the site, development director Mark Newton said.

A two-level basement car park with 483 spaces will be built after the main part of the excavation.

Mr Newton added: “My personal view is that the Brewery Square scheme and our scheme do not overlap substantially – we are catering for different parts of the town.

“It’s in everyone’s interest that both schemes are successful in raising the bar for Dorchester.”

Negotiations between the district council and Dorset County Council to bring Dorchester Library to the site are still under way.

Residents heard that the district’s new office would save taxpayers £140,000 to £160,000 a year.

Council workers will be asked to use the park and ride facility, with 40 spaces set aside for essential car users.

Architect Gregg Mitchell said: “Essentially, this office building will set the standard for Dorchester in sustainability terms. We feel we are producing a building here that Dorchester will be proud of and will stand the test of time in years to come.”

But resident Peter Noble told the developers: “The building reminds me of a research laboratory in the 1960s.

“I think it’s out of date and inadequate for the town. It’s too large, too long and too thin.”

Speaking after the meeting, resident Mike Newby said no thought had been given to whether the town would benefit from the development.

“Life is tacitly assumed to be best served by the acquisition of yet more consumer goods and catering facilities,” he said.