WEYMOUTH & Portland Rugby Club has applied for planning permission for the Caddyshack café at the Monmouth Avenue ground – a year after a similar application was refused.

In February last year, Dorset Council refused retrospective planning permission for the café – a converted shipping container and outdoor seating area – on the grounds of excessive noise, smell, and a lack of toilet facilities.

Applicant NA Williams Building Consultancy Ltd, on behalf of the rugby club, then appealed the decision.

However, a planning inspector upheld the refusal, only on the grounds the café would create excessive noise for neighbouring properties.

The new application would see the current Caddyshack container and seating area moved 75 metres, close to the rugby club building, and a new, covered seating area created.

It would sit on a site currently used for car parking.

“Within their appeal dismissal, the planning inspectorate concluded that the current location did not create excessive odours and that there was sufficient WC provision available within the rugby club,” the application said.

“As the relocated proposal will be more than 100m from any neighbouring property, generation of excessive noise cannot be an issue.”

It added: “The proposal will create no change to the current provision of off-road parking in the proposal site, and will not therefore present any future strain on the local highway.

“When the café facility and associated is relocated to the proposed location, the area that this currently occupies will revert to car parking, and as such there will be no loss in the current on-site parking provision.”

The scheme will now be considered by Dorset Council planners.

For more details, and to comment on the application, log on to www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk and search for application reference P/FUL/2024/00504.