A row of houses in Sherborne are being offered new front doors to tackle flooding.

Wessex Water has applied for listed building permission to install flood doors on six properties in Coldharbour, between the junctions of Harbour Way and the B3145.

The scheme would see special doors installed on the properties in a bid to counter the effects of surface water flooding in the street.
“The aim of this scheme is to offer a solution to surface water flooding at selected listed building properties in Sherborne,” it reads.“This is to be done while taking into account the special architectural and historic interests of each property, ensuring that the physical characteristics of each listed building will not be substantially affected by flood protection measures.”

The affected properties are Endcote (No 1), Merry Cottage (No 2), Lorna (No 3), 4 Coldharbour, Simla (No 5), Meerut (No 6).
The application goes on: “External surface water flooding is a historic issue in this area affecting numerous properties. It has been frequently reported to Wessex Water and Dorset Council in the last five years.

“The flooding predominantly occurs at the junction of the A30 (Coldharbour) and Harbour Way, which is the natural low point in the surface water network.
“Properties in the area have low thresholds on the doors, often with steps down in the premises increasing vulnerability to flooding.”
Wessex Water and Dorset Council are cooperating in a partnership scheme to offer the addresses ‘property-level flood protection’, the application adds.
“Following assessment, it has been deemed that the installation of flood doors is the most appropriate flood protection,” it says.
“The flood doors are designed with a seal which is present on the door structure and is set into the door frame.
“As a result, each time the door is locked (using a multi-point locking mechanism) the seals combine to form an effective barrier against potentially intrusive external surface water.”
For more information, and to comment on the scheme, log on to dorsetcouncil.gov.uk and search for application reference
P/LBC/2022/07729.