HOUSES will be built in the grounds of one of the last cob and thatch cottages in Bournemouth.

Town planning officers said the two proposed houses would have no impact on the setting of Moorside Cottage in McWilliam Road, and that previously raised issues around the drainage, bins and site access for construction vehicles had been resolved.

The application originally came before the planning board in February, but was deferred while these issues were addressed, during which time the number of proposed three-bedroom homes was reduced by one to accommodate a protected oak tree.

Councillors had then expressed a desire for the construction to be financially linked to the renovation of the Grade II listed Moorside Cottage as one of the conditions of the planning permission.

However, officers said: "While it is regrettable that the listed building has not received the repair and maintenance works that it may need, ultimately there is no mechanism through this application through which repairs can be sought.

"The applicant has previously stated that the funds from the sale of the properties would go towards repairs and maintenance of the listed building, but there is no planning link."

The scheme received 29 letters of objection.

Councillor Sue Anderson said the proposed houses were "dreadful" and called for more to be done to protect the cottage.

"The cottage is fragile, it is listed and the council does have a duty of care to look after it, and it is not being done," she said.

"Before we start building any houses something should be done for the safety and protection of the cottage."

However officers said the state of the cottage, as a separate property, could not be considered as part of the application.

Several members expressed concern about the access road, which is narrow and has no known owner.

However chairman David Kelsey said conditions could ensure lingering concerns were resolved. "There are conditions in this report that clearly state development cannot, and I emphasise cannot, take place until those conditions are met with an approval from officers," he said.

"I understand certain members here do not want to see development on this site and I fully understand their reasoning for it, but the fact is we have planning policies in place. We have to work to those policies."

Councillors voted four in favour and three against, with one abstention. An earlier motion to reject the bid was not carried.