Residents raise concerns over Dorchester Market site

RESIDENTS living next to the Dorchester Market site have been reassured that they will be fully consulted before any changes are made.

Residents living next to the Dorchester Market site have been reassured that they will be fully consulted before any changes are made.

People living on Great Western Road started a petition after hearing rumours of changes to former animal sheds, known as The Linneys, next to their back garden walls.

Dorchester Town Council took over the running of the market and Sunday car boot earlier this year after ending a long-running lease with Wimborne-based Ensors and has been investigating making changes.

Market committee chair Cllr Molly Rennie told town councillors that plans were being discussed to improve the market, but nothing had been decided or formally proposed at this stage.

“We have met with residents in Great Western Road and had a discussion with them about the area.

“There will be a full and proper consultation as we move forward – we certainly don’t want people to think we are railroading anything, we want to take people with us,” she said.

The meeting heard that from this week there would be surveys of the site being taken, but only to provide information about the existing layout.

Suggestions have been made in the past about making better use of The Linneys which stretch from the market entrance, parallel to Great Western Road, towards the Market Café.

Previous ideas have included using them for specialist food vendors, for arts and crafts makers, or to be converted to small workshops.

One side is now partially fenced off after a fire which damaged the roof and supporting timbers.

The former animal sheds were used to pen animals when a regular livestock market was held within the building, which is now the indoor market area.