PLANS to build affordable housing on a Wimborne car park have suffered a setback after an outcry in the town.

East Dorset District Council announced the plans to build two rented and six shared-ownership properties on Old Road car park in November last year.

However, the move has been unpopular with traders and residents, who say parking is already an issue in the town centre.

District councillor Robin Cook, who represents Wimborne, has now asked for the process leading to the council’s decision to be brought to the Audit and Scrutiny Committee. He said: “This decision is one of the most contentious I have met in my times as a councillor.

“The strength of feeling against this move from both residents and the business community was overwhelming. I wanted to see if there could be a way of revisiting the matter.”

Councillors have now voted overwhelmingly for the matter to be referred back to the Resources Committee so a detailed public consultation can be carried out.

Cllr Cook said: “I am delighted with the result, particularly as I am lobbying for the whole issue of car parking adequacy in the town to be addressed as a matter of urgency.”

Raglan Housing Association has already been selected by the council as a development partner for the proposal.

The car park has 43 spaces, but has been operating under capacity for some time.

A spokesman from the council said that, out of 119 inspections, there were only eight occasions when other nearby car parks would have been unable to accommodate all of the cars parked at Old Road.

However, Wimborne residents Mel Gudger and James Moran, urged locals to protest against the plans after setting up website wakeupwimborne.com They have claimed the council’s inspections of the car park are inadequate, and said: “Based on a 10 minute time their survey looked at less than one per cent of the car park’s chargeable life.

“If you consider its contribution to the community during non-chargeable hours, their decision is based on less than 0.25 per cent of its annual life.”

The duo say that Wimborne is set to have a population explosion.

“With the new neighbourhoods, the population of Wimborne will double in about 10 years,” they said.

“If we assumed the parking capacity, minus Old Road, is about right for the town today, we would have to find 400 new spaces to ensure that those 35 per cent more cars come into Wimborne.”