Chalet owners will not be allowed to increase the size of units after councillors raised concerns over a ‘snowball’ of redevelopment.

Members of Lyme Regis Town Council’s management committee agreed they would only consider development applications for chalets keeping their original size for the time being – due to the lack of an overall policy The committee was asked to consider plans to redevelop a Bowling Green chalet before the proposals are submitted to planners at West Dorset District Council – as the town council is the freeholder of the site.

Speaking at last week’s committee meeting, Cllr Anita Williams, said: “What will our policy be regarding allowing chalet owners to go right up to their boundary?

“If they all start doing this, we could get into a position where we all see a whole flurry of applications for similar things.

“Another issue I would raise is how owners are going to maintain the chalets if they cannot get down the side of them.

“I think we should be setting a policy for our chalets – it’s probably the perfect time to do it.

“If we allow this without further discussion, we will look back at this moment in time as the point when we fundamentally changed the way these chalets look.”

The owner wanted to raise the roof to the same level of a neighbouring chalet and take the building line back to the rear wall – as well as to within 15cm of the boundary.

The ground floor would have been lowered in order for a mezzanine level to be constructed.

Cllr Owen Lovell, pictured, said: “Once one person does it, there is nothing to say that it won’t snowball.

“I think we should use our position as landlords to say yes or no. This is a big issue for us.”

Members agreed with chairman of the management committee Cllr Chris Clipson’s proposal that the council refuses to consider any chalet developments which are bigger than the original units.

“Any previous chalets that have been rebuilt have been built on exactly the same footprint. We should not be dictated to by one person who suddenly comes along and wants a bigger and different chalet.

“I think we should only consider those with the same footprint at this time.”