Dorchester's Range store is to be allowed to increase the type of items it can sell – including more food and drink.

The application had been opposed by town councillor Stella Jones, fearing that it could lead to the store becoming more of a food supermarket, causing additional parking problems in the area.

She said that if additional customers were attracted to the store there could be more parking problems in its car park, which sometimes floods, and with more congestion at the access to and from the store at the nearby junction.

The store has asked to amend its original planning consent to be allowed to sell a greater range of goods, including more general food items.

Its agent said that the application only amounted to 250square metres of existing space, 11 per cent of the overall store space – a figure which planning officers decided was acceptable.

The store said the consent will mean additional freezer and chiller space to sell perishable items including cheese, meat and dairy products, a limited range of fruit and vegetable, non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks, tinned and packet goods including biscuits and snacks and a limited range of household items such as soap, loo rolls and toothpaste.