A PASSIONATE plea has been made for Dorset Council to think again after it rejected a plan for new housing for vulnerable people at a redundant building in Bridport.

Daniel Taylor Almshouses (DanTay), which has been providing houses for the poor for hundreds of years, applied to convert the former Chancery House day centre into ten flats.

The centre has been standing empty for two years and had been running at a loss for some time before its closure.

DanTay says its plan would provide a genuinely affordable housing solution for people who have got into difficulty for whatever reason and may now be sleeping on friends' sofas in tents or even shop doorways.

However the council rejected the planning application last month with an officer citing the 'loss of a community facility' the small size of the flats, and the fact the housing 'would not be provided by a registered social landlord and would not be considered to contribute to affordable provision'.

Bridport Town Council had expressed concerns about the size of the units and how accessible the building might be for people with disabilities – a view shared in some of the public comments about the application.

Other worries included overlooking of neighbouring properties, additional parking problems in the area and the lack of a lift.

The decision to reject the application has prompted a number of letters to the Bridport News in recent weeks, supporting the work of DanTay.

The Almshouse Association has now written to Dorset Council on behalf of its member charity DanTay.

The Association believes the decision to reject the application was based on a 'misunderstanding of almshouses' and the benefits they can bring to a community.

The letter says: "The two main points raised by the council centred on affordability and issues of the size of the rooms in the proposed accommodation.

"Having spoken to David Partridge from the charity, it quickly became clear that the action had been taken to amend the size issues, with all rooms now exceeding the minimum space requirements.

"The Almshouse Association believes that there has been a misunderstanding by the council in regards to the issue of affordability. The proposed almshouses would offer a Weekly Maintenance Contribution (the almshouse equivalent of rent) of between 60-80% of Local Housing Allowance. It is difficult to argue how this cannot be viewed as a genuinely affordable scheme for the people of Bridport."

The Association said it would welcome the opportunity to meet with the council to 'iron out' these differences so that DanTay can continue to helping those in housing need.

The letter adds: "The opportunity before the council is a great one which would see nine new, energy efficient, genuinely affordable homes provided for the Bridport community in perpetuity. We would strongly urge them to meet with us so that they might have the chance to reconsider their decision."

In response, Mike Garrity, Dorset Council's head of planning, said: "The decision was made with the information that was given and as such stands in law.

"Every planning application can be challenged through the appeal process to the Secretary of State. However, the council can advise any applications whether a new application is viable when there are changes in circumstances."