It's the end of an era in Dorchester, say bye bye to The Buzz
Demolition of the former nightclub is now well underway
It's the end of an era for a former nightclub in Dorchester.
It's had many names over the years - from The Steering Wheel to The Buzz and Liberty's - but demolition of the building on High West Street is now well underway.
Permission was original sought for nine homes on the former Buzz Inn site in 2019, but was later amended, after objections, to six apartments.
Access to the site, which once also housed a popular Indian restaurant, The Spice Centre, is via an archway (pictured).
The site is alongside a barber’s shop, which will remain trading.
Parts of the site have previously been used as a dance studio and for exercise classes.
The site owners will demolish all of the existing buildings to the rear of the plot, much of which they was is in poor condition with ‘blown’ brickwork and large cracks in the roof.
Dorset Council planning officers had been told during the planning consent process that the state of the building was beyond economic repair. It was built in the mid-1920s as a community hall and used by the Women’s Institute.
The proposals include largely retaining the existing frontage with two flats on the first and second floors facing High West Street and four three-storey homes to the rear of the site with six parking spaces.
A number of amendments have been made to the scheme since it was first suggested, the latest made in February 2022.
At the time Dorchester town councillors decided not to object to the alterations from the approved plan, although say they said they regretted the loss of a ‘green wall’ from the designs which were approved in August 2021.
Other changes at the time include posts to support the balconies on some of the homes and amended minor architectural details.