A CONTENTIOUS Charminster property is at the centre of a planning row over who its future occupiers will be.

Despite scores of residents’ protests, planning permission was awarded for a block of 38 study bedrooms in Malmesbury Park Road on the condition the rooms could only be occupied by foreign students from the Kings School of English.

But the developer has now applied to have this condition removed, sparking another battle with residents who fear the building could be used as a “doss house”.

The block will contain eight self-contained flats, each comprising a cluster of single rooms with showers. There will be communal kitchen and lounge areas in each flat.

Ward councillor Carol Ainge said: “From the very beginning when these plans were proposed, the local residents and I have been very upset and angry. Originally seven houses were proposed for this site which would have fitted in with the character of the area.

“We fought and fought against these study bedrooms but unfortunately it was passed. Now to try and change the usage of it and open it up to anybody is unacceptable.

“I’m very upset and angry. With no restrictions, these tiny bedrooms will be open to anybody. The fear is it could become a doss house and we will not accept that.”

Ken Parke is the planning agent who has submitted the application to get the condition removed.

In a letter to the council, he said the condition was “unnecessary and onerous” and said there was no justification to impose restrictions on which type of students could live there.

He said: “There were conditions restricting the building to a particular language school and to foreign students only. This didn’t meet the lending criteria of the bank and they have asked for the conditions to be varied.

“The removal of the conditions is purely academic.

“The residents will also be aware that a previous inspector dealing with a student block on the site did not differentiate between foreign or any other students and indeed it may be unlawful to do so.

“The application does not change the nature of the proposals but simply makes it better legally for the banks, the site owners and the council.”