Plans to extend a slaughterhouse, as new owners prepare to reopen it, were supported by councillors at a meeting - although sympathy was expressed for nearby residents who raised concerns.

Shropshire-based Pickstock Telford Ltd has bought the Mangerton Lane site, which has been empty for about a year, and says it needs modernising.

A planning application was submitted to Dorset Council back in August and, if agreed, could result in a doubling of staff from 20 to 40, and 1,400 square metres of extra space.

The plans also seek to change the use of a home on the site to offices and to create a new parking area for up to 40 vehicles with additional landscaping.

Pickstock’s application states the property was bought to help prevent animals from farms in the south of the country having to travel too far for slaughter.

The work proposed, it claims, is to ensure the business complies fully with current standards, with the alterations and extensions offering additional canteen and welfare space for staff.

The plans were discussed by Bridport Town Council’s planning committee. The town council is asked its views on planning applications relevant to its area, and can support or oppose an application, but it cannot approve or refuse it.

During a tense open forum at the start of the meeting, members of the public who live close to the site raised multiple concerns about noise, smells, impact on climate and traffic issues - including a large increase in the number of lorries travelling to and from the site and frequency.

Resident Elizabeth Harrop said it would no longer be a ‘small-scale operation’ and that it ‘goes against AONB guidelines and advice.’

She claimed a Freedom of Information Act request about the firm's abattoir Telford site revealed 200 complaints from residents highlighting issues related to noise, odours, stress, sleep deprivation, and other disruptions to their wellbeing.

Ms Harrop and the St Andrews Road Residents Association said they were worried about the increase in traffic and number of lorries that would come with an expansion.

A submission to Dorset Council by a group of Colfox students echoed these concerns, stating: “We have found that in the afternoon peak period, one livestock lorry would come through every four minutes. This would greatly increase the chances of road accidents in the area, with high levels of children during this peak time as they will be travelling home from school.”

Greg Pickstock was present at the meeting, and said he ‘was not seeking permission to operate but to modernise the site.’ He said the site could ‘open tomorrow’ if he wanted and it was the addition of the two welfare areas he was seeking approval for.

He shot down claims about complaints and said the firm ‘tries to work with locals as much as possible’.

The town council supported the application but with a lengthy list of conditions they would like to see met.

Cllr Kelvin Clayton said he ‘feels for the residents here, I really do’ but that he was ‘struggling to find a reason within the framework to oppose.’

He said the council could only support, but that he did so ‘grudgingly’ and with conditions ‘strictly imposed’.

Councillors agreed the site needed upgrading.

It said, on balance, it 'recognised the beneficial impact of the development' but gave a stringent list of conditions it would like to see met.