A NEW housing estate with 65 homes is being lined up for a site at Redlands in Weymouth.

Betterment Properties has lodged an outline planning application with Weymouth and Portland Borough Council to build the new development on Redlands Caravan Park.

It scheme includes a mix of houses of up to three storeys built around courtyards on a loop road through the 1.86 hectares site opposite the Shell Garage on Dorchester Road.

The project would mean the removal of 98 static caravans on the site, a new right turn and a new slip road to enter the estate off Dorchester Road.

The council is sending out letters to consult nearby homeowners before its planning committee decides the outline application.

A full application would need to be lodged and approved before work begins in April 2006 at the earliest under the borough's local plan rules.

Pensioner Xarifa Norley, whose Dorchester Road house backs on to the site, said: "I wouldn't like to see it happen.

"I don't see the need for it and think it would spoil the area."

Another neighbour said she was concerned about the proposed height of the three-storey buildings and proximity to her home.

The outline plan is for backing in principal so the scheme can be progressed and a full application with details plans lodged later.

It includes terraced, semi-detached and detached homes, courtyards areas and areas of open space for children totalling 975 square metres. The application features 20 units for affordable housing with 10 for rent and 10 for shared ownership.

It stated that there would not be a problem with houses overlooking each other because there would be more than 30 metres between properties.

Betterment boss Mervyn Stewkesbury said that most housing schemes incorporated three storey dwellings and that there would only be a small number of these on the Redlands site.

He said that planners encouraged variation in schemes.

The outline application is likely to go to the council's planning committee on October 27 at the earliest. Work would not until Spring 2006.

The Bailey family, who own the site and farms nearby, were away and unavailable for comment.

Mr Stewkesbury said that there was an arrangement between them and Betterment over the plans.