A BUNGALOW on stilts with trees growing through it could be incorporated into a landmark area of Beaminster if district planners agree today.

Despite objections from Beaminster Town Council, the Beaminster Society and former town councillor Gilbert Berry, the recommendation is to approve the plan for a 'tree house' in the grounds of the Grade II listed Beaminster House in Tunnel Road.

Although the land is undeveloped it has a number of large and significant trees and architects at Western Design want to build the house on stilts around those trees to incorporate them in the five-bedroom home. The three-section bungalow is to use recycled telegraph poles, have a planted sedum roof and feature open terraced areas and pergolas.

Architect P Easton said: "It is intended to provide a house of exceptional architectural character due to the sensitive nature of the site. The idea is essentially to construct a tree house. Although this will not be in the upper branches of the trees, it will be above ground on stilts, so as not to damage the tree roots and to ensure their future survival."

The building would be broken into three sections with timber and glass walls and curved to soften the impact and blend with the woodland, he said.

The three sections will be joined by glazed links and surrounded by decks and pergolas.

But the Beaminster Society says the access to the building from Clay Lane is dangerous and the trees on the site area a focal point and any development is bound to damage them.

"This group of trees takes the full force of the prevailing winds and should a single tree fail because of this disturbance it could result in a total loss of these trees," it says.

Planning officer Andrew Jordan is recommending apprioval. He said there were obvious difficulties building so close to mature trees but these were not insurmountable.