West Moors church and care home plan rejected

Plans for a church and care home on a farmland site have been refused.

Developer Nick Aris had submitted proposals for the development near protected heathland at West Moors in Dorset.

More than 500 people raised objections over the size of the scheme and traffic concerns.

Dorset Council's planning committee turned it down by a one-vote margin after almost two-and-a-half hours of debate.

The decision came after a site visit last week following a deferment at a previous committee meeting in March.

A member of the public was ejected from that meeting during which chair Toni Coombs had to plead with objectors to let council officers and those who supported the application have their say, without interrupting.

The proposals were for a church and care home on a two-hectare (five-acre) site off Blackfield Lane at West Moors.

Agent for the developer, Jason Cunningham, said the site was ideally suited to the proposed uses with a "clear and considerable" need for more care spaces that would generate 60 new jobs.

Residents had argued that although official figures showed few accidents in Station Road and The Avenue, and other nearby roads, councillors could not judge the situation without seeing for themselves.

Alderholt councillor David Tooke said the visit had persuaded him of the potential problems, and noise, which could be created by extra traffic to and from the church site and 60-bed nursing home.

Wimborne councillor Shane Bartlett told the meeting that he did not dispute the need for more care home beds in the area, but questioned if there was a need for another church on the site, and if there was, would that use be a good one given the proximity to homes.

An attempt to have a split decision, approving the care home, but rejecting the church, also failed.

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