A CONTROVERSIAL plan to build 490 new homes between Blandford and Pimperne has been approved – despite some opposition.

The scheme, submitted by Lewis Wyatt (Construction) Ltd, would see around 37 hectares of land north and east of the Blandford Bypass developed.

At a meeting of Dorset Council’s Northern Area Planning Committee on Tuesday (October 24), councillors gave the green light to an outline plan for 490 homes, and full permission for an initial 153 new properties.

A report by council officers said the application was “not considered to comply with the development plan as a whole”, but still recommended approval due to the scheme also providing affordable housing, land for a new school, a community building, public open spaces footpaths, ecological enhancements and more.

“There is a conflict with the development plan when taken as a whole … for both the outline and full applications would be located outside the settlement boundary for Blandford and thereby in the countryside (of Pimperne Parish), where development should be resisted,” the report said.

How the developments could be laid out

“However, when assessed against the relevant policy in the Pimperne Neighbourhood Plan, it is considered the proposed development has been designed sensitively and would not result in any adverse impacts.

“The benefits of this scheme, for which there are many, are a material consideration that would justify a departure from the development plan.”

The possibility of a new school being built on the land, as well as the design of the development, were also factors in the recommendation, the report added.

Allotments being built on would be replaced, the application said, as well as new sports pitches being created.

However, the scheme has seen some opposition from residents and organisations.

The Cranborne Chase AONB raised “concerns and or objections” relating to the scale of the development, poor planning and light pollution.

An artist impression of the scheme, included in the planning application

Pimperne Parish Council objected on the grounds of the size of the development, impact on the landscape, the impact on the gap between Blandford and Pimperne and more.

Blandford Forum Town Council had no objections to the proposal.

More than 300 objections were received from the public, with concerns including highways safety, over development and noise.

Yet, despite the concerns, the committee voted to approve the application.