THE son of artist Sir Laurence Whistler has spoken out in a bid to halt the building of two timber-framed houses in a Lyme Regis woodland.

Pound Street wood is locally known as Whistler’s Wood because of its associations with the artist.

A decision on plans to build two eco homes has this week been put on hold by councillors.

A bid to erect two homes at the site was rejected in 2009 after West Dorset District Council raised concerns over the impact on the character and appearance of the Conservation Area.

The matter was taken to appeal in 2010 and a planning inspector upheld the council’s decision to refuse the appeal, citing the protection of trees and the woodland as the significant factor.

Applicant Quentin Craven has now submitted a revised application and the matter was considered at a meeting of the council’s development control committee yesterday.

The application included a legal agreement, known as a section 106 agreement, to hand over the woodland to a trust that would be responsible for managing the woodland surrounding the properties and for contributions to be made to local infrastructure.

The application attracted 23 letters of objection raising issues such as the impact on neighbouring properties and listed buildings, destruction of the woodland and the historic significance of the site and its associations with artist Sir Laurence Whistler.

His son Daniel Whistler told the committee he had little confidence that the section 106 agreement would prove effective and said the site would soon become ‘a leafy building project’.

He added: “The remaining wood would be diminished step by step, certainly within decades and possibly in just a few years.”

After listening to representations, members claimed they wanted the section 106 agreement to be drawn up between council officers and the applicant and presented to the committee before a final decision is made.

Coun Stella Jones said: “The 106 agreement should come back to committee before we make a decision.”

Councillors will also carry out a site visit.

Also at the meeting, the committee approved plans to build six flats on the site of a house called Beau Sejour in View Road.

Members considered the application to demolish the currently unoccupied home and replace it with four two-bedroom and two one-bedroom flats.

The application had been recommended for refusal by Lyme Regis Town Council and seven letters of objection raised concerns such as overdevelopment and loss of privacy for adjoining properties.

However, a report considered by members stated that the scale and siting of the building was ‘appropriate for the area’.

The committee also approved an application from phone giants Vodafone and O2 to replace a telecommunications mast at Charmouth Road.

The 15m mast would enable them to provide 2G coverage.

Members considered a report that stated the proposed new mast would present a ‘more substantial construction than the existing’ but was ‘not considered to result in landscape or visual harm’.