A CAFÉ and community hub has been unanimously approved for the Mampitts area of Shaftesbury – despite claims the application is “illegal”.

Town councillor Peter Yeo told Dorset Council’s area planning committee they should not be considering the application because, he claimed, it had never been voted on at the town council.

He also argued that the application was in contravention of a series of planning policies and was not the scheme the majority of residents wanted and that the proposed parking was likely to be dangerous.

A rival scheme for the site, from the Mampitts Lane Community Land Trust, had been approved by Dorset Council in March.

Said Cllr Yeo, a trustee of the Land Trust and a resident of the area: “This proposal today has not been legally submitted; it has never been before Shaftesbury Town Council and never voted on, it was just sent in by the Town Clerk without the ratification of the full council.”

Despite his protest, and the objection of other residents, Dorset councillors unanimously approved the scheme.

Dorchester councillor Les Fry, who seconded accepting the plans, said while it was “regrettable” there was bad feeling in the town about the dual proposals for the site, in planning terms there was nothing for the committee to object to.

The proposed “hub” has a café, which will be open in the day, with the building capable of being divided into sections, or fully opened up, with seating outside and an office space above which may be used by the town council, or shared with community groups.

Money set aside from the adjacent housing development, agreed in 2007, will be used to develop the site, retaining much of the area as it now is, with some additional planting.

Objectors claimed the proposal would amount to the loss of their “village green” which was popular with dog walkers and families. One told the committee that Shaftesbury Town Council had only proposed its own scheme “to stop residents getting what they want… I can’t understand why it’s being imposed,” he said.

Town councillor Andy Hollingshead said despite the objections the scheme had been fully consulted on with more than 4,000 leaflets being sent out and meetings held; “This is an exciting, visually pleasing development and will be a welcome addition to the county,” he said.