PLANS to convert Bridport's historic Greyhound Hotel into the country's fourth Wetherlodge have bitten the dust.

Instead the upper floors of the centuries old former coaching inn look set to be converted into flats.

Pub chain J D Wetherspoon had applied to create around a dozen letting bedrooms above their East Street premises - a move welcomed as providing much needed extra tourist accommodation.

But the scheme involved the substantial rebuilding of the top two storeys of the Listed building and the original design fell foul of the planners.

Now the company has abandoned the project and applied to convert the upper floors into seven self-contained flats with a separate entrance.

Wetherspoon's spokesman Eddie Gershon told The News: "On reflection we decided the Greyhound was too small. Most Wetherlodges have between 30 and 35 bedrooms and at best you could get no more than 14 at the Greyhound. It is in a good location but it was not enough beds."

Members of the town council's plans committee expressed their regret at the loss of more potential hotel accommodation on Monday.

And they were concerned that the flats plan - which made no provision for parking - could add to town centre traffic congestion.

Coun David Tett said the decision to abandon the Wetherlodge plan was a sad blow.

"I am concerned at any decrease in hotel accommodation in the town especially as we have recently lost part of the Bull Hotel," he said. Coun Richard Nicholls deplored the lack of any provision for the extra cars the flats would bring and the increase in traffic congestion.

"You can now drive down Marylebone Road easier than you can through South Street, East Street and West Street," he said.

Mayor Geoff Ackerman said: "Traffic and parking never comes into planning now and it should. I don't like this at all."

But Coun Christine Clare welcome the proposed one bedroom flats aimed at single people - many of whom could not afford a car anyway.

"There is nowhere else in Bridport to service that need," she said.

Coun Tett: "I have no problem with that but it still means the loss of hotel accommodation."

Coun Clare: "But it is not being used as that now so realistically we have already lost that."

Coun Ackerman added: "There are not many single people today who have not got a car."

The committee agreed to outline its concerns to the district council.