Permission has been granted for a shepherd's hut in the grounds of a listed property in Stoke Abbott, near Bridport.

Dorset Council has agreed that the use of the hut in the garden of the semi-detached listed Glen Cottage off Village Street, would be lawful but can only be used in conjunction with the house and not let out.

The hut site is proposed to be 4.5m from the nearest boundary and within a wooded area of the grounds about 14 metres to the south of the cottage which is proposed to be refurbished and extended. The site is within the village Conservation Area.

The proposed hut will be 5m long by 2.4m wide and 3.4metres to the tallest part of the roof.

A council report said that, because the hut has wheels it does not need full planning permission, coming under the category of 'caravan', although if it were to be used as separate accommodation from the house would then need to go through the planning process.

The application was filed with the council under the name of Columbia Cook Ltd, based in Christchurch. It did not attract any comment from either the ward councillor, Simon Christopher, or Stoke Abbot Parish Council.