A RESIDENTS’ action group is urging people to put pen to paper and object to the multi-million pound Charles Street development.

Members of the Dorchester Forum will man a stall in South Street daily until comments are closed on an application by developers Simons to build council offices and more shops in Dorchester town centre.

Volunteers on the stall are giving out information on how people can object to the plans for West Dorset District Council’s new £10 million offices before a final decision is made on the development.

They say they hope to encourage residents to write around 200 letters of objection to the £60 million development, which would house new headquarters for WDDC, shops including an expanded Waitrose store and a 60-bedroom hotel.

Forum co-organiser Mike West said: “Ninety-nine per cent of these people are expressing concern about what the council is trying to do here with building these offices.

“I think it’s important for people to know that there’s a planning application in at the moment and they can write in and comment and object.”

Dorchester resident Nick Wimberley dubbed the development ‘a monster’.

He said: “I hope this stall will be up as long as possible. We need to draw people’s attention to this travesty.

“We don’t need a monster like that in the middle of Dorchester. It will be the council’s ivory tower.

“I don’t think it’s right that the council and Simons are bed partners, they both want this development and it’s going to be decided by the very people who want it.”

But disabled Dorchester resident Carol Bancroft said she hoped that people in favour of the development would show their support for it.

“I wish the silent majority would come forward with their views because the proposal would benefit West Dorset and its people.

“If this goes ahead it will create more jobs – the town needs to boost its economy before it dies on its feet.

“We need bigger shops to bring people here so they will wander off to the smaller shops.

“The new council offices will be disabled friendly and the council will be able to employ disabled people. At the moment it’s very hard for me to access Stratton House,” she said.

Council leader Robert Gould said that councillors who sat on the authority’s development control committee were not the same councillors who sat on the executive committee and dealt with landowner aspects.

He added: “The development control committee will consider all the relevant planning details of the application, irrespective of the proposed occupiers of the buildings.

“Simons are the applicants for the comprehensive redevelopment of Charles Street and the district council will determine the application on its planning merits.

“The investment by the council in new offices is significant, but it will be cheaper for taxpayers than staying in Stratton House.

“Importantly, the new office project will not require any increase in council tax levels.”

People can comment on the application until June 18 by visiting www.dorsetforyou.com