The draft Dorset Local Plan, which is out to public consultation until March 15, has been criticised by Blandford town councillors for grouping the town not in the North Dorset area, but in the South East.
Haydn White said: “We are a black hole in a black hole, linked with the eastern area because building land is required. Was there any consultation with anyone before this paper appeared? Villages served by the town are not in the same area.”
Town and Dorset councillor Byron Quayle agreed it was ridiculous and had been described as disastrous on the public forum. He said it was presumably because there was a lot of flow towards the eastern area by people living in Blandford and working in Bournemouth and Poole.
“But there was no consultation with us, and I certainly don’t agree with it. I hope BFTC will put something forward.”
A council working group has been tasked with drawing up a detailed response for approval by full council.
More than 1,500 homes are suggested for the Blandford area, including the 350 proposed by Bellway Homes at Blandford St Mary, 180 on the former Blandford brewery site, 75 at lower Bryanston Farm, 220 to the south east of the Bellway Homes site, and 680 to the north and east of the Blandford bypass.
A campaign has been launched in Pimperne against an application by Wyatts Homes for 600 houses of those, to include a new primary school, local centre and relocation of the existing Lamperd’s Fields allotments.
A banner appeared on the roadside between the two development sites, either side of the Salisbury road, saying ‘Say No to Overdevelopment in Pimperne/Letton’ together with a placard saying ‘No to Allotment Move’. However, allotment holders were shocked to find at the end of February that their small roadside sign protesting at the proposed move had been taken down by the council, on the grounds that it was on highways land on the corner of the Salisbury road roundabout which was not in their ownership.
The total number of homes exceeds the 400 suggested in the Blandford+ Neighbourhood plan covering Blandford, Blandford St Mary and Bryanston, which awaits final approval following a legal challenge from Pimperne Parish Council.
Nothing is indicated in the draft Dorset Plan for Charlton Marshall, where a number of applications remain undecided, or Spetisbury, but Sturminster Marshall has been earmarked for 425 homes, including 120 at Sturminster Marshall Golf Course. The plan says although the golf course is in use, it is “underused”.
Also threatened with development is the Dudsbury Golf Course, which could accommodate 700 of the 1640 homes proposed for Ferndown and West Parley. In North Dorset area, a total of 4,389 homes are forecast, including 300 new homes at Market Field site in Sturminster Newton, 610 in Stalbridge, 1200 in Sherborne, nearly 2000 for Gillingham, but little for Shaftesbury, which has seen much expansion in recent years.
By far the most development is foreseen in the central area of Dorchester, Weymouth, Chickerell, and surrounding areas, which fall within the Central Dorset geographical area – including proposals for Dorset’s largest new housing development of around 4,000 homes in countryside north of Dorchester.
DEVELOPMENT PLANS: The River Frome near Dorchester after heavy rain
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Sturminster Marshall earmarked for 425 new homes – where is the land in Sturminster scheduled for these developments? Thanks for your help.