Approval is being recommended for a bold development which would alter the street scene opposite one of Dorchester's main historic buildings.

The owners of Vespasian House are asking for a radical four-storey extension which could bring six apartments and additional commercial space.

The building is currently home to the Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group and the Dorset Primary Care Trust but has a prior approval decision for conversion to 65 flats.

Dorset Council's area planning committee is next week being recommended to approve a planning application from RTI Estates Limited, which has its offices within the building, for a four storey extension with four 2-bed apartments at the southern end of the existing block and a detached rounded frontage building with 83square metres for commercial, business and services uses on the ground floor and two one-bed apartment of the first floor, with a 'green' roof.

The new build, if approved, would be on the current grassed areas on the Bridport Road side of the building and around the corner into Barrack Road, opposite the Keep Military Museum and the town post sorting office.

The proposed two storey building would be built in front of the existing offices leaving space between the two structures.

The application argues that the extension would make good use of the space available whilst offering additional homes in the town centre and a modest area of commercial space.

Submitted in May last year the application has attracted only a handful of public comments – some from Bridport Road residents who say the additions would result in further overlooking of their properties and that the extension would be less sympathetic to the setting of the Keep Military Museum than the existing office block.

"I live opposite Vespasian House I don't really want people looking into my bedroom windows from the balconies that are suggested," said one objection letter.

Dorchester Town Council is among the objectors. Its planning committee decided that the loss of green space would be detrimental to the town conservation area and says that the proposed Block B would overpower and be detrimental to the existing Vespasian House.

An officer report to next Tuesday's (15) area planning committee recommend approving the application saying that it complies with relevant policies and is an acceptable design in a sustainable location.