COUNCILLORS have been told to ‘get a grip’ with development in an area of Weymouth.

Weymouth and Port-land’s traffic and planning committee narrowly voted against plans for six semi-detached houses on land at the back of Lansdowne Villa on Lansdowne Square off Wyke Road.

The decision followed appeals by the Weymouth Civic Society and the Lansdowne Residents Association, who objected on the basis of overdevelopment and concerns over access for large vehicles such as fire engines and refuse trucks.

Ward councillor Colin Huckle also objected to the plans.

Officers had recommended that the planning application be allowed.

But after a proposal by committee chairman, Cllr Mark Tewkesbury, to reject the application on the grounds of overdevelopment, Cllr Ian Bruce said he was becoming ‘frustrated’ with how councillors viewed development in the area. Cllr Bruce added: “The garden has not been developed because when anyone comes up with a scheme we get people coming along saying it will ruin the parking or whatever.

“I urge colleagues to get a grip. Our officers have come up with a solution to this and it will give us another six properties which I think is what we should be doing to develop this in a sensible way.”

Councillors voted five to four in favour of rejecting the plan.

Cllr Christine James agreed there should be development at the site but added: “If the refuse lorries cannot access the houses, that will mean everyone having to wheel their bins up to the end of the road. That’s not going to make it look any nicer.

“It’s supposed to be a conservation zone.”

Case officer Darren Rogers said the applicants had offered to widen the corner and Christine McNulty, on behalf of the applicants, said the proposal made the ‘best possible use’ of the site. But Pru Bollam, vice chairman of Weymouth Civic Society, said the plans would ‘diminish the quality’ of the area, and may lead to a further application to demolish the villa.