As reported by the News,  Bridport Town Council's planning committee opposed Churchill Living's plans to build retirement flats on the J.C Phillips site off South Street at its meeting last night. 

Town councillors unanimously agreed that building 'yet more expensive retirement flats' would 'fail to meet the town's main housing need, which is for more rented social housing for people of working age.'

READ THE FULL REPORT: Councillors unanimously object to controversial retirement development

Speaking after the meeting, Bridport town councillor Anna Killick, Labour, said: "This is great news for Bridport. It is a signal to developers that we will resist further speculative applications encouraging influxes of elderly incomers who put more and more strain on the town's creaking infrastructure and health and social care services”

Dorset Council will have the final say about the development.

“When that happens”, said Independent town councillor Sarah Carney, “we will join fellow Bridport residents to make sure our voices are heard. People in our town are fed up with private, unaffordable developments being thrust upon us while still we have 380+ people aged under 55 on the housing register for Bridport and our young people continue to struggle to find homes.”

"The next step is to try to secure this site, and others in town, for urgently needed social housing, and to persuade Dorset Council to prioritise finding the funding and creating the partnerships needed to get these homes built."

Green councillor Kelvin Clayton, who proposed that the planning committee did not support this application, said: "The housing needs of Bridport are overwhelmingly for one and two bedroom properties for rent.

"These are especially important for key workers like nurses and dentists. This development would not only prevent a valuable brownfield site being used to meet this need, but would add to the need for more key workers."

Councillors are urging people to sign a petition calling for more social housing and to look out for more information on how the town 'can all work together to encourage Dorset Council to listen'.

You can read the petition here.