Revised plans have been lodged for one of Dorchester's key buildings which has been empty for five years.

Nine apartments had been approved for the former Top o' Town House, a Grade II listed building, back in June 2019.

A new scheme has now been submitted after the site changed hands with the local owners saying they wish to restore the property as a long-term investment.

The late 18th Century house, built as a 'gentleman's residence' overlooking the High Streets and the Top o' Town roundabout, had previously been used by Dorset county council for offices and staff training.

Architects acting for the new owners say that the important building has suffered years of neglect.

"The building has suffered terribly during its 50 plus years of use as offices. Many internal fixtures and features have been lost and a great deal of disruption has been caused by repeated upgrades of the mechanical and electrical services – with very little regard for the building's listed status," said a statement from Dorchester-based Crickmay Stark Architects.

"Like many tenanted commercial buildings, it is clear that only minimal investment has been made in the maintenance of the external fabric for a great many years. All in all, Top o' Town House is in a very sorry state both internally and externally, and desperately in need of a very thorough scheme of sensitive repair and restoration."

The architects say the new proposals "will ensure that Top o' Town House is restored to its former glory, commensurate with its prominent position in Dorchester, and that it will have a viable future".

As with the previous scheme the latest application largely retains the outside appearance of the building although an approved 'Coach House' extension has been dropped from the plans.

The new application retains 18 parking spaces, compared to 16 on the previous plans, with room for nine cycle sheds. Six of the homes will be one-bed and three two-bed, some sharing a common entrance.

Other changes include the creation of a laundry in the basement and adding a new building on the west side of the car park to provide covered parking with accommodation above.

Some preliminary work has already taken place on the site, including removing trees from the rear of the building.

The new application comes from Landmark Citadel Ltd, which gives the Royal Terrace Dental Practice, opposite Top o' Town House, as its address.

Comments on the new application, Dorset Council reference 2022/03417, can be made until July 1.

Crickmay Stark say the building appears to date from the early 19th century and was first shown in 1835 on a plan of Dorchester.

By 1844 the building was occupied by Charles Burt Henning (1798-1871), a Dorchester attorney. Originally known as Grove House, is not specifically named on the 1841 census, but Henning is recorded as living on 'High West Street', which might indicate his residence there at that time. Henning died in the house in 1871, at which date the house became the property of Captain Arthur Edmund Mansel (1828-1905) of the 3rd Hussars. The house was known as Top O' Town House from at least 1931.