RESIDENTS in West Stour are being given the chance to shape the future of their community – from where new homes could go to which green spaces should be protected.

Dorset Council has received an application from Stours Grouped Parish Council to formally designate West Stour as a Neighbourhood Area.

This is the first step in creating a Neighbourhood Plan, a document that can influence planning decisions in the village for years to come.

Neighbourhood plans were introduced under the Localism Act 2011 to give communities more control over development in their area.

They can set out where new housing, shops or offices might be built, while also safeguarding valued open spaces.

If approved at a local referendum, the plan will carry real weight.

It will be used alongside the Local Plan and national planning policies to help determine planning applications in West Stour.

Before work begins, residents are being asked for their views on whether the proposed area is the right one to cover.

(Image: Dorset Council)

Comments must be submitted to Dorset Council’s Spatial Planning Team by Wednesday, March 25.

Cabinet member for planning Cllr Bartlett said: “Residents in West Stour have a great chance to plan the future of their area.

“While Neighbourhood plans have to align with the Local Plan and the National Planning Policy Framework, they are an important part of the planning process.

“Neighbourhood plans reflect a community’s vision for the future of their parish and provide parish residents with a voice in the planning process.”

Residents can comment by email at neighbourhoodplanning@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk or by post to Spatial Planning, County Hall, Colliton Park, Dorchester, DT1 1XJ.

Anyone interested in helping prepare the plan can contact the parish clerk at clerk@stours-pc.gov.uk