Lyme Regis park-and-ride upgrades agreed

Plans to upgrade a park-and-ride site have been approved, going against a recommendation by council officers.

Dorset Council's planning committee voted unanimously in favour of upgrading the facilities at the site in Charmouth Road, Lyme Regis.

The approved plans include improved access, a cafe building, toilets and electric vehicle charging points.

The service operates during peak holiday times but was forced to remain closed over Easter due to flooding.

Planning officers said the scale of the proposed cafe building was "excessive for the location" and would cause harm to the landscape.

They also warned the it may compete with existing town centre refreshment businesses.

But councillors at Thursday's planning meeting agreed the proposals, with a condition the cafe and toilets would not open outside the park-and-ride's operating hours.

The meeting heard that the £35,000-a-year cost of the bus service was paid for by Lyme Regis Town Council and the field, which is privately owned, was used for sheep grazing outside of the tourist season.

An agent for the owners, the Wellman family from Axminster, previously said the limited availability of parking in Lyme Regis and high visitor numbers meant, on busy days, people would "probably leave the town and go elsewhere".

Lyme Regis Town Council had supported the plans, saying they did not "involve unacceptable or material harm to the Conservation Area or heritage assets".

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