A VALE village could get a new community hall and wildlife area – if plans for 30 new homes are approved.

Brimble Lea, on behalf of T&A Land Ltd, has applied to Dorset Council for permission to demolish barns to make way for 30 homes, a village hall and wildlife area on land at Sandways Farm, in New Road, Bourton.

The application is a revision of a previous plan refused by council planners in March last year.

It would see eight two-bed, 14 three-bed, seven four-bed and one five-bed homes built on th site, which is made up of two fields.

“The application has been substantially revised following the refusal of an earlier application determined in March 2023,” it said.

“The indicative layout has come about through detailed discussions involving relevant officers from the Local Planning Authority (LPA) including Senior Planning Officer, Senior Conservation Officer and Urban Design Officer.”

A total of 1.4 hectares of playing field/amenity land has been added to the plans, including an orchard an attenuation pond and wildlife area.

The site in Bourton where the development would be built. Picture: Brimble Lea/Dorset Council

A new path would also provide access to and from a public right of way in Clay Lane, “enhancing connectivity between the centre of the village and the public rights of way network”, the application said.

Access would come from a junction with New Road, with a route running through the top field to the bottom area.

The proposed village hall would be set “into the ground”, in a bid to minimise its visual impact, it added.

“The development provides connectivity both fro the village hall building direct to the amenity land, but also via the pavements running from New Road directly down and via the amenity land to connect with the public right of way at the far south-eastern corner of the site,” it said.

People can now have their say on the application before it is considered by planners.

For more details, log on to dorsetcouncil.gov.uk and search for application reference P/OUT/2023/06654.