The developer behind a proposed housing scheme at the former Dorchester prison site has promised to hold a meeting for residents to have their say on the plans.

Permission for up to 185 homes on the five-acre town centre site was granted in 2016, and then amended in 2017 but, other than minor changes to secure the site, building work never started.

Scaled-back, simplified designs have now been put forward, including 133 homes, none classed as affordable. These will include 41 one-beds, 83 two-beds and nine three-beds, with car parking spaces increasing from the current 43 to 195 and the addition of 104 cycle parking spaces. 

Most of the new homes will be created by converting existing prison buildings, but with some new builds on the former prison car park in North Square and around the grounds. The proposals also allow for the demolition of some buildings.

The new proposals do not include the 46-space underground car park in North Square to cuts costs.

Also extracted from the 2017 agreed plans are proposals for undercroft parking and the redesign has resulted in slightly different positions and heights for some of the new housing blocks, and the introduction of balconies for some flats.

The core proposals, for 60 homes in what was the main prison block, remain the same, as does access to the site and the majority of the landscaping proposals.

Residents express concerns at lengthy town council meeting

Developers City and Country bought the prison site for £3.25million following its closure in 2013. Since then it has been used for adventure games, ghost tours and community events including a recently started monthly market. It was also used for filming some sequences in the latest 'Luther' series starring Idris Elba.

City and Country's head of planning Adrian Fox has now to arrange a meeting with residents, after they claimed they were not being given enough time for their views to be heard at this week's Dorchester Town Council meeting.

About 20 residents attended the town council planning committee meeting on Monday evening to hear him speak and put their views.

The meeting took so long that town councillors also deferred making a recommendations on the revised scheme for another day, although they remain broadly in favour of the development.

Those that were allowed to address the meeting before discussion was cut short by committee chairman, Cllr Ralph Ricardo, raised concerns about the re-siting of housing blocks closer to their homes; the introduction of balconies leading to overlooking; and the management of up to 200 additional cars making their way in and out of the site – including the pinch-point of The Bow.

Residents say a proposal to effectively remove one footpath close to the narrow entrance to North Square will add to pedestrian danger and breach disability rules.

Nearby resident Sarah Wilkinson has likened using The Bow/North Square junction – the only entrance available – as trying to squeeze a quart into a pint pot.

"It's just unsuitable for so many homes and if anyone thinks people will be able to cross the road, and then cross again at this junction in safety, to get to the remaining pavement, they should think again," she said.

Cllr David Taylor said the situation at The Bow could become a nightmare.

"If there is no traffic control it will be just complete chaos," he warned, also expressing his concerns about larger vehicles, including refuse lorries, getting in and out of the site.

Dorset Highways has yet to express a view on removal of the footpath – although in 2017 its officers agreed to the removal of the pavement on one side, to the replaced by a 'rubbing strip' to protect the historic Bow wall around the church.

Ms Wilkinson has argued that the 2017 highway agreement was based on incorrect measurements and said that today's proposals will not meet any of the updated criteria in the National Planning Policy Framework or equalities legislation.

Civic society objects

There is also concern among residents that the latest proposals may be decided by a planning officer, rather than a Dorset Council planning committee made up of councillors, although a final decision on this has yet to be made.

Dorchester Civic Society has also objected to the revised plans, which it claims are less sympathetic to some of the Victorian features of the site, including the entrance arch, and to the surrounding Conservation Area.

A statement from the society said: "The new scheme is based on improving profitability by the un-adorned and regimented new buildings. They may cheapen cost but will detract from the original proposal's attempt to reduce the impact… the new blocks lack the visual interest of the earlier proposal. Flat roofs are an alien feature in this part of town and are deplored."

Cllr Les Fry questioned whether 196 parking spaces for the development would be enough. Mr Fox said that he expected many residents would choose not to have a car because it was a town centre site.

Cllr Mollie Rennie questioned the new housing mix, claiming the town had many empty one-bed flats and that larger flats were also needed, if for no other reason than to encourage the development not to be just for pensioners, but for young families as well.

Cllr Fiona Kent-Ledger reminded the meeting that the town council had previously voted in favour of the scheme and, apart from some small details, little had changed.

She said the traffic proposals for The Bow had also previously been approved and, in her opinion, provided a better route without the need for vehicles to drive on the pavements to get by.

Mr Fox said the family-owned company, which specialised in buying old properties and finding new uses for them, had to simplify designs to reduce costs to make the scheme viable.

He said that the 2017 proposals were likely to generate a loss of £3.75million.

If the new planning application is approved by Dorset Council, building work could start on the site in late 2023 or early 2024, with construction expected to take up to two years, although some properties could be ready earlier.