RESIDENTS have blasted new plans to create a fresh access route into a £4.5m housing development in Weymouth.

Marchesi House, a former sheltered housing site off Radipole Lane, Southill, is due to be demolished and the site transformed with social housing - with the majority of the new tenants being drawn from the general housing waiting list.

Demolition work was scheduled to start in September last year by Bournemouth Churches Housing Association (BCHA), but the work has been delayed.

Planning permission has already been granted but the applicant now wants to vary one of the conditions to remove the requirement for access to be from Radipole Lane.

When it was granted permission one of the conditions was that a construction traffic management plan should include a provision for construction traffic to access the site from Radipole Lane only.

But the applicant wants that changed so machinery can access the site from Sycamore Road and Rowan Close. Comments are open on the plan until February 16.

Residents have voiced concerns about how narrow the access route is and the safety of children travelling to and from nearby Southill Primary School.

A public meeting took place yesterday evening in a bid to find a solution.

Jacqui Dixon, of Rowan Close, said: “On the plans it mentions Poplar Close, but the only building in that street is the (former Marchesi House). To access that route, HGVs and machinery will have to come through Rowan Close, which is incredibly narrow.
“Somebody’s car is going to get damaged.
“Also, the development proposals include three-storey buildings. This will likely bring the value down of houses at the entrance of Sycamore Road opposite Marchesi House.
“A pathway runs next to the site and during the mornings and evenings, children use it to get to Southill Primary.

"With lorries and machinery coming in and out of Rowan Close, I’m concerned for the pupils.

“When Marchesi House was functioning, ambulances struggled to get in and out of the access road - so it would be interesting to see how a digger fares. It’s going to be chaos.

“We’re not against the development, we just want developers to consider residents and better safety measures.”

Suzanne Purvis, also of Rowan Close, said: “In August and September, developers came to the site to remove some of the equipment in Marchesi House.

"Straight away, our cars were blocked and I would expect this would be the situation if development was to start.

“An increase of machinery on the street will just leave residents scrambling for a parking space.”, especially with workers coming to the site.”

“It’s a safety aspect for the pupils of Southill Primary accessing the area.

“February 16 is the deadline date for public comments and then it will be considered in the normal way by the planning team.”

BCHA were approached for comment.