45 Dorchester Road, Weymouth: The Harbour

A new home for Dorset children

Dorset Property have worked with Children’s Services to provide a home for up to 5 children and young people who cannot live with their parents.

‘The Harbour’ is an integrated service for children and young people which brings together a range of accommodation options, services and outreach support centred around a residential hub in Weymouth. The launch of a new children's home aims to give local children a better and more secure start in life.

The existing building , College House at 45 Dorchester Road, Weymouth, has been refurbished, adapted and transformed into a centre to help older children as they first leave their care homes to start a new independent life, with support.

The single storey Adult Learning Centre which was based at the rear has been demolished along with its associated structures including a wall, glazed link to the main building and ramps, to allow a new building to be constructed off-site and placed on the existing car park.

A new Care Home for Children, ‘Chestnut House’, has been constructed adjacent to the existing building to provide a home for younger children as they first come into care. Our team of dedicated professional staff will be based here to provide the support and care they need.

As well as supporting families and young people, The Harbour aims to improve support networks and to create a new sense of community for foster carers around the county.

Construction started on site in May 2021 and was completed in July 2022.

The design

After discussions with the Conservation Officer the new building was designed and developed to be sympathetic to the architecture within the local Conservation Area and adjacent buildings.

Our landscape architecture team designed an integrated landscape surrounding both buildings to provide a homely garden setting for the children, enhancing the outside spaces to improve the overall appearance of the grounds as an asset to the neighbourhood and the Conservation Area. The existing trees have been retained and further planting will provide a haven for nature and wildlife.

Ecological enhancements were incorporated into the scheme including several bat boxes in trees, bee bricks in the new building and a hedgehog house in the garden. Biodiversity will be further enhanced by the planting of new hedgerows along the boundaries, the creation of new species-rich grass areas and a planting scheme which will encourage birds, insects and pollinators to thrive.