A LANDMARK Bridport building has relaunched with new tenants as part of its controversial new vision to ensure a stable financial future.

Plan for the use of Literary and Scientific Institute (LSi) in East Street have been met with criticism amid fears the facility will no longer be accessible to the community.

The building has now reopened and hosts three tenants - Crowdfunder - which was previously there before - along with 3DCentre (3DC) and a financial services company.

The owner of the building, Bridport Area Development Trust (BADT), outlined its reasoning for the plans, stating that in keeping the building open it can provide employment opportunities for local people, support business start-ups, provide mentoring for ambitious young people and ‘put Bridport on the map as a vibrant, forward-looking hub for the development of personal and business skills’.

A petition was launched in opposition to the plans in June by Chasing Cow Productions, a west Dorset arts and filmmaking collective.

Chasing Cow's main criticisms of the plans were that they do not provide enough of a community element and do not offer significant public access to the LSi. They also claimed a public consultation which was 'promised' by the trust never took place.

The LSi was already under financial pressure going into 2020, as costs exceeded income from hirings, events and the café - the coronavirus pandemic exacerbated these issues and gave the trust new urgency to finding a way forward.

The BADT worked closely with Bridport Town Council, Dorset Council, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic England and others to preserve the historic building. It re-opened in 2018 after a nine-year restoration from near-dereliction. It took seven years to raise the funds and two years of structural work.

A BADT spokesman said: “These new arrangements are the result of more than a year’s intense work to ensure a viable and sustainable future for the LSi in the face of changing business conditions and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“BADT fulfilled one of its primary purposes by rescuing and preserving the historic building for Bridport. The plans are also consistent with the aims of the Trust and the LSi in the benefits they provide to the community. The intention is to create a new relationship with the tenants to deliver something very different and dynamic for Bridport.

“Crowdfunder and 3DC are involved in important commercial activities and social, cultural, economic and environmental issues. They are enablers and facilitators of business growth, charitable outreach and personal development. Their relationship will be close and symbiotic as they build on this collaborative platform. Their presence in the LSi will generate the consistent income essential to maintaining a working building while continuing to provide a valuable resource at the heart of the community.”

The building's lead tenant is Crowdfunder, which has been a tenant there for three years. The company plans to incorporate an 'accessible' hub for work, education and mentoring. Alongside a schedule of public events, it plans to offer bookable hot desks, permanent desk spaces, meeting spaces, podcast recording and editing facilities, video conferencing, space for events and presentations and monthly networking lunches.

Sub-tenant 3DC is a company founded by renowned international human rights lawyers Clive Stafford Smith and Emily Bolton to mentor young people in human rights and social, economic and environmental justice.