A BRIDPORT business has been given the green light to go ahead with plans for a leisure complex - but could be forced to stop using part of its building for traders to sell retail goods.

Seal’s Cove at St Andrew’s Trading Estate has won approval from planners to convert part of the former Corbin Industries site on Shoe Lane into a seven-day-a-week leisure complex to include a wave machine to teach surfing, a climbing wall, soft play area area, trampolining, café and nursery.

But a retrospective application to continue to use the ground floor of Seal’s Cove for traders has been recommended for refusal by West Dorset District Council officers and labelled “unacceptable”.

The council’s planning committee will consider the proposals at a meeting on Thursday.

Caroline Croucher, manager of Seal’s Cove, said the company’s intention is to have a café, leisure area and retail store “operating in unison” and that the company is “very disappointed” the application has been recommended for refusal.

She said that the development had the potential to be a real community hub and boost the economy in the area.

She added: “The leisure centre and retail space would compliment each other and cater for all age groups.

“We would like to confirm that we are hoping and fighting for the retail space to continue on in parallel with the leisure centre.

“We hope for a positive outcome as we strongly believe that Seal’s Cove has the potential to be a hub for the community, with all three elements operating together.”

The application is for temporary change of use from general industrial to shops, for three years.

In his report to councillors, council officer Hamish Laird, described the current use for traders at Seal’s Cove as “presently unauthorised” and offered limited employment potential.

He added: “The proposed change of use is unacceptable because the applicant has failed to adequately demonstrate an essential need for the shops use to be contained in this building, other than economic expedience and convenience.

“With two or three persons required on site to run the shop use, its employment potential is very limited and carries little weight in the consideration of this proposal.”

A planning statement on behalf of Seal’s Cove, by Paul Dance, describes how another company took out a three-year lease on the building last year and spent £50,000 to refurbish the premises.

He said that traders were now faced an uncertain future.

Mr Dance added: “The lessee then went ahead and rented the building to multiple retail tenants without applying for planning permission.

“Our client then found he had problems in terms of the fact the development had been undertaken without planning permission.

“After some months the lessee walked away.

This left my client with 50 sub tenants; traders, who were all very worried that they would be thrown out with nowhere to go.

“My client has decided that he would like to retain the retail elements for as long as possible pending his other plans to utilise the property for leisure purposes.”