A SWANAGE outdoor centre which introduced thousands of youngsters to the Dorset coast and countryside could be converted back to five homes.

The Chatsworth Centre in Ulwell Road has been used as a residential learning centre – but like many others was badly affected by Covid restrictions, closing in January last year.

Now the owner, Mr Robert Camping, has applied to convert the five Edwardian guest house back into homes and has applied to Dorset Council to make the change of use from business to domestic.

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The Coastal Discovery and Field Studies Centre was able to accommodate up to 200 students as part of the Allnatt group with its facilities including an outdoor heated swimming pool. The group had another centre on the Isle of Wight, but that was also forced to close because of Covid.

The largest of the five Swanage guest houses, Cliff House, was able to accommodate 62 students and six teachers, with Coast House capable of taking 51 students and 5 teachers; Beach House 43 students and 5 teachers and both Bay House and Seaside House able to host 34 students and three or four teachers.

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The application to Dorset Council for the change of use says the centre was last used in January 2021 and is currently vacant. All of the staff were made redundant at the time of the closure having not been able to open since the first lockdown in March 2020.

Bournemouth planning consultants Ken Parke says the buildings vary in size from a gross internal floor area of 829square metres to 365 square metres.

The site was marketed as six houses by Saville’s in June 2021 with an asking price in the order of £2million.

Public comments on the application, reference 2022/01256 on the Dorset Council website, remain open until March 28th.