Council offices to be demolished for 40 new homes (and they'll all be affordable)

Aster Group’s outline application to redevelop the Nordon site was backed by members of the council’s planning committee on Tuesday.

The decision has been praised by senior councillors who said it would “breathe new life” into the area and provide “much-needed” affordable housing in the town.

The council had used the site as offices until early last year when it offered the site to developers interested in building housing.

A bid by housing association Aster Group, which would see 40 homes – all affordable – constructed, was chosen with six others rejected.

Under its plans, most of the new homes would have either two or three bedrooms with four one-bedroom flats and one four-bedroom house proposed.

On Tuesday, the council’s planning committee agreed to grant outline planning permission for its scheme.

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr David Walsh, cabinet member for planning, said: “I am pleased to see consent granted for our former offices in Blandford.

It will help breathe new life into this important site and deliver much-needed affordable housing for the town.”

Should final approval be given for the development, the new homes would be provided by Aster on a mixture of affordable rent and shared ownership arrangements.

Council leader Cllr Graham Carr-Jones said: “We are pleased to make our former offices available for Aster to deliver a wholly-affordable scheme.

“It is an excellent example of the council working closely with a partner to help meet housing need in the area as part of our Opening Doors programme.”

Opening Doors was launched in collaboration with West Dorset and Weymouth and Portland councils in a bid to encourage the construction of more homes across the district.

Its work includes encouraging the development of council-owned land and trying to persuade developers to build in the area.

Before any work can start, final details of the scheme will need to be approved by the council.