A PLAN to convert a Portland industrial unit into a children’s soft play area has been refused by Dorset Council.

It will mean having to apply for a full planning consent if the proposal is to go ahead.

The authority says the unit, at 1 Tradecroft, on the corner of Wide Street, is classed as ‘general industrial’ and to achieve a change of use a full planning application is needed.

An agent acting for the play application claimed that the previous use and the proposed use both fall within the same category for planning purposes – so would not need a full planning consent to open, only a certificate of lawful use.

The proposal said that the unit was last is use more than a year ago by Ceewrite Engineering with the lease now assigned to Mrs Hannah Ball.

A planning agent, acting for her, said the only changes to the building would be internal and that the planning classification for an indoor play area is the same as for the previous use – requiring only a certificate of lawful development, rather than a full planning consent.

However Dorset planners said the categories are not the same and the building’s current use category is ‘general industrial’ rather than anything else.

Said a Dorset Council planning case officer : “It is considered the proposed change of use would not be contained within Use Class E but would require a change of use from Use Class B2 to Class E(g) and would therefore represent be a material change of use and as such represents development. Furthermore… the proposal would not be permitted development. Therefore, at the time of the application the proposal would not be lawful and would require planning permission.”

Pic – The Portland unit where a soft play area is being proposed. Google.