PROPOSALS for 30 affordable homes in Beaminster have been given the thumbs down by Beaminster Town Councillors.

Sovereign Housing Association is applying for planning permission to build the homes at Flaxfield Rise.

But at Tuesday's meeting of the council's planning committee a majority of councillors voted to recommend refusal of the plans.

Cllr Chris Baker said the town was still waiting to hear what the requirements for social housing in the town were.

He said: "We have obviously had submissions from owners directly effected in nearby properties on the proposal but they do raise a number of very valid points."

He said because it was an exception site it needed to meet the criteria for one with proof that there was a need for social housing and there was no information of the real needs of the town.

He said: "At the moment the social needs seems to vary quite significantly year on year.

"This becomes particularly relevant in the context of transport links. To me one of the most sensitive areas is the impact on North Street.

"I have now walked four times up there and on all occasions I have found it quite a risky journey. In one case I almost got knocked by a transit van's mirror. If we are going to have children in pushchairs coming down that me that is an area is a potential safety trap."

He added: "That is not addressed at all in the proposals."

Cllr Robin Cheeseman said it was not an ideal local in relation to the schools in the town.

He said there was no point in having two metre walkways on the site when there was not that sort of pedestrian provision in North Street.

He said: "This is the wrong position I think for social housing."

Cllr Steve Norris agreed.

He said: "The world has changed. The Clipper site will have a percentage of affordable housing, I think this is opportunistic just because it's there.

"I am passionate about making sure there is social housing for local people but I am not sure this is necessarily the right solution."

But Cllr Christopher Turner said the site had already been accepted as an exception site and it runs alongside an existing area of social housing.

"It is not going to be easy for young families to be accessing it, yes it is up on a hill but it is the only current area that is an existing exception site which has already had plans and ideas for social housing."

"I think now we have had a revised pan down from the extremely dense 40 units that was proposed last year to now 30 there is a much better land use much more liveable space."