CPRE objects to building on Highmoor Farm

By Marilyn Barber | newseditor@dorsetview.co.uk

The Poole and Purbeck Group of the CPRE (Campaign to Protect Rural England) has added its voice to those opposed to an application by the Talbot Village Trust to develop the land south of the Wallisdown Road at Highmoor Farm as an Innovation Quarter.

The hybrid application was submitted to BCP Council in November. There is a full application, which is for a new 11,606 square metre Nuffield Health Hospital and an outline application for the provision of 13,394 square metres of employment, healthcare and university-related floor space, including ancillary uses and a Growing Hub. In addition, there is an application for a change of use of 12 hectares of grazing land to create a Heathland Support Area for the lifetime of the Innovation Quarter.

In a submission to BCP Council, Gerald Rigler, chairman of the CPRE said: “It is noted that the applicant wishes to secure approval to construct a substantial amount of floorspace on green fields, rather than be involved in the more socially responsible process of recycling brownfield land, currently being advocated by government.

“It is also noted that the above desire reflects a misplaced vision within a discredited Local Plan (based upon some relevant superseded concepts) that should be adjusted by the expected BCP Council Local Plan to ensure brownfield land is no longer hoarded but positively promoted for reuse. It is held that no mistake in a Local Plan should ever be reinforced by implementing it, particularly in the current period of planning law reform.

“It appears that the loss of opportunities for carbon capture, food production, ‘health and well-being’ and enhancement of bio-diversity have not been really considered in the request for a ‘change of use’: opportunities which, if lost, could harm the public interest that is the over-riding concern of planning law.”

Mr Rigler also cited traffic disruption on a busy road and the risk of pollution to the area as reasons for the application to be refused.

He added that BCP Council has substantial amounts of brownfield land which could offer extensive opportunities for developments.

The application for the development on the BCP Council website is APP/22/01455/F.

A petition to save Highmoor Farm has been started by local resident Kerry Batcock and it is available on https:// chng.it/DnJtL65b