Permission has been granted for empty homes at racing stables near Dorchester to be used for holiday accommodation – against the wishes of local councillors.

Dorset Council's Area Planning Committee agreed the change of use at Whitcombe Stables, contrary to when the centre was set up, which limited homes on the estate to only be occupied by those working in the equine business.

The site lies in open countryside between Dorchester and Broadmayne with gallops running up to the Ridgeway.

Dorset councillors heard that the holiday home use has been going on for some time – the owners, G. Crook & Sons, claiming that the horse racing business was no longer viable and that new ways of helping pay for the upkeep of the buildings needed to be explored.

Ward councillor Roland Tarr said that with 19 other horse racing yards operating successfully in Dorset, he found the claim that the centre was not viable as "incredible".

Parish councillors, and Cllr Tarr, claimed that to change the status of the homes would set an unwelcome precedent in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, eroding the rural nature of the site – a fear also expressed by the Thomas Hardy Society.

Cllr Tarr claimed the council should have asked for details about the viability of the business, rather than accepting the claims, and said it would be better to have the yard in operation, which would boost the local economy year-round, rather than the occasional use of the homes

The change in use will affect two pairs of semi-detached homes in the existing yard, a substantial property known as the 'Owner's House', a flat over a stable block, and three new homes in a second yard which have planning consent, but which were never built.

Under the new rules their use will now be limited to those associated with the horse racing business on the site and to holiday stays.

Parish councillor Graham Brandt said that the new conditions would amount to a fundamental change to the 1987 planning consent, against the wishes of the former West Dorset District Council.

He described the argument about the centre no longer being viable for horse race training as "a red herring", and said that despite the claims there were still horses on the site and at least one non-equine business operating there.

He said that in September 2022 Dorset Council had issued an enforcement notice to stop the holiday use, but this was never followed up by officers.

Former Dorchester brewery boss, Jeremy Pope, a member of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Partnership Board, said that when the last trainer, Liz Nelson, died, her partners were keen to continue the horse racing business, which demonstrated its viability, but they were out-bid.

He said the conditions should remain to protect the site from commercial development, other than horse racing.

Planning agent Brett Spiller, acting for the site owner, said it was "a travesty" that the homes should remain empty and argued that the use of holiday lets would help the local tourism economy.

He said that the change was supported by Dorset Council's planning officers and complied with policies about rural businesses and finding alternative uses for buildings in the countryside which, otherwise, had no use.

"As you can see, the site remains well maintained, all that is being asked is a little bit of flexibility to increase the income stream to keep it that way," he said.