A newly submitted planning application has been met with some disappointment.

As previously reported, Churchill Retirement Living had laid out multi-million-pound plans for a proposed ‘independent living retirement development’ which would consist of 50 apartments and 25 cottages. The plan would redevelop the site of Hanson and J.C. Phillips and Son builders’ merchants on South Street in Bridport.

Following a public consultation of the site back in May, a planning application has been submitted to Dorset Council.

A spokesperson for Churchill Homes said: “After consulting with local residents in the Spring, we are pleased to have now submitted a formal planning application to Dorset Council for the regeneration of our site on South Street, to deliver much needed new homes for local downsizers along with all the associated benefits this will create for the town.”

Social housing has been in ‘dire need’ according to Cllr Sarah Carney, particularly for young people in the town. She says it is disappointing that a retirement living developer is looking at the site and that 'any further influxes of elderly people to the town will put a strain on medical services.'

She said: "It is not what Bridport folk need or what they will be able to afford, it will be people from outside the area coming in which puts yet more strain on our infrastructure.

"We have half the number of GPs we need and are 20 years behind capacity at DCH, we can’t cope with influxes of new elderly people.

"What we do need is affordable social housing and I’m disappointed Dorset Council didn’t pick up on this and the opportunity this site could’ve brought.

"Other councils are showing more creativity and imagination getting around this stupid numbers game that the previous government, and now this new government ,are still promoting around free market developer-led estates all over the countryside.

"It’s just the same old same old from them and it’s very disappointing."

Although the planning application being submitted to Dorset Council, it is going through the validation process, so there is not currently a live planning page for the application in full just yet. 

Developers have said that the proposed development ‘would be expected to bring around £580,000 per year of extra spending to the local high street.’

During a meeting in July between councillors and residents, the latter said they would have liked a broader discussion before the site was allocated for more retirement living.