CONTROVERSIAL plans to demolish part of a trading estate to make way for housing have failed to win the backing of councillors.

Members of Bridport Town Council's plans committee objected to proposals by Hayward and Co to provide 95 new homes at St Michael's Trading Estate and refurbish the remaining industrial units. Councillors said the plans were "reducing it to a retail park" and thought the proposals would "change the very nature and character of the estate".

Speaking in the public forum during Monday's (3) meeting, Andrew Leppard, who is campaigning for the plans to be rejected on behalf of Enterprise St Michael's, said: "This application does not meet the local need for housing.

"It has lasted as a very important tourist attraction. It's actually been starved of an type of investment."

Leslie Archibald, a director of Enterprise St Michael's, added: "This will entirely alter the estate.

"We are being asked to pay a very high price for those houses. Are these 95 houses really worth changing Bridport forever?"

Haywards said the new homes were essential in order to make the scheme "viable".

Martin Ridley, speaking on behalf of the developers, said he was disappointed that an invitation for councillors to carry out a site visit was not taken up - a decision made by town clerk Bob Gillis to prevent any accusations of bias towards the plans.

Mr Ridley said Haywards could no longer keep applying "sticking plasters" to the site and a full refurbishment was needed.

He added: "We urge the committee not to be deflected by misinformation.

"It's important for the estate to carry on. The estate needs it and the town and its tenants deserve it."

The committee objected to the outline plans due to the scale of the buildings and access to the site, while an objection was made to plans for the Lilliput building due to scale and overdevelopment.

Cllr Dave Rickard was sceptical about the developers stating the site would be available for mixed use.

He added: "I'm afraid I see that as the same as Brexit means Brexit.

"We are reducing it to a retail park with some houses on it."

He said that the proposals would "change the very nature and character of the estate."

He added: "The access is appalling. We have got five rows of terraced housing. You can't get in or our without going in or out of the industrial estate.

"If they were not trying to put houses on it, they would not need three-storey buildings.

I'm very concerned about that mix."

Cllr Julian Jones criticised Cllr Rickard's "speculative statements" that some industrial businesses would not be able to operate at the refurbished site.

Cllr Jones said: "Almost all of the estate's tenants would be given the chance to stay.

"My main view of this whole proposal is that overall this is a sensible development for Bridport.

"For a town centre site, three stories is not an excessive height. It doesn't worry me at all to look at a three-storey building."

Committee chairman, Cllr Sarah Williams, said: "The general feeling I have got is the scale of the Stover building is too high.

"I feel that the Stover building should remain as a commercial building."

The proposals will be determined by West Dorset District Council.