Up in arms over Dorset Council Local Plan

Dorset Local Plan meets with opposition from town and parish councils

By Marilyn Barber | newseditor@mags4dorset.co.uk

The response from town and parish councils in east Dorset to the draft Dorset Local Plan can be summed up in two words – strong objections.

The Local Plan target is to build 39,285 homes (excluding possible further development in Alderholt, Gillingham and Wool), in the period to 2038 - an additional 8,804 homes more than the Government’s target based on the standard methodology.

It isn’t possible in this publication to highlight all the concerns from the submissions, so we have identified a number of salient points, including a suggestion from four councillors that a new town should be established in Dorset to fulfil housing needs. There are also proposals to build on two golf courses.

Councillors from the Ferndown wards, Mike Parkes, Cathy Lugg and Julie Robinson, together with Andrew Parry from the West Parley ward have provided a joint response as they feel the areas are intrinsically linked.

Speaking on their behalf, Cllr Parkes said, “Whilst we understand there is a need for some very small scale developments and infilling, we do not support the proposals for a disproportionate part of the Dorset allocation for new homes to be located in Ferndown and West Parley.

“We feel that the best solution for the area and Dorset as a whole would be to create a ‘new town’ to take on the bulk of the new homes requirement for the county for the years to come and not just this local plan. This would attract additional government funding for improved infrastructure.”

He added they felt there was a need to deliver a small scale development of around 70-100 ‘starter homes’ to enable younger, first time buyers to remain within the Ferndown area. He said the town didn’t need any more high-end large properties.

The possible development of Dudsbury Golf Course is of huge concern to the group who argue that it forms part of an irreplaceable green lung helping to define the borders between three distinct parishes and two unitary authorities.

The group says the regeneration of Ferndown town centre should remain an integral element of the Dorset Local Plan.

The development of Ferndown and Uddens Industrial estates has found favour with the group, but it feels access should be from the A31 rather then from the Wimborne Road entrance. However, proposed industrial units at Longham and a gypsy and traveller site at Blunts Farm have not found favour and the group feels that Ferndown has more than enough care homes.

In a lengthy submission, Wimborne Town Council (WMTC) says it is unable to support the plan as it contains numerous erroneous and contradictory statements as well as out of date material. It argues that there seems to be an unjustified and unfair distribution of proposed development in the Wimborne area.

It goes on to say that the plan shows little understanding of the population, the locality, the transport issues, or the topography of Wimborne Minster.

The plan fails to demonstrate any cooperation with neighbouring authorities in respect of the available brown field sites which could accommodate further housing before development of any green belt. It also disregards other potential and approved developments which will impact on Wimborne Minster such as land north of Merley where 650 homes are proposed and those on Magna Road, both in the BCP area.

WMTC is also not happy that it has been combined with Colehill as one.

WMTC would support the establishment of a new settlement in Dorset.

The loss of natural green belt is a concern, with the council saying it doesn’t consider SANGS to be an adequate or suitable replacement. The town has already sacrificed approximately 70 per cent of its green belt for housing development.

Wimborne is already the location of 55 per cent of all approved development across the SE Dorset area, with 45 per cent being spread around the remaining county. No new key employment sites have been identified.

WMTC is vehemently against land at Leigh Farm being used for development as it says this is the last remaining piece of green belt to separate the town from Colehill.

Colehill Parish Council says it feels the scale of the housing allocation for Colehill is excessive with 495 being proposed, which it feels is more than double the ‘fair’ figure of 213.

The parish council is concerned that all four of the proposed housing sites for Colehill are on green belt land, and that brownfield sites should be identified.

It feels that Colehill and Wimborne should retain their own identity.

The provision of affordable housing in Colehill has also been identified with the average house price in the village last year being £395,470, compared to £285,000 in Dorset.

Looking at the wider picture, the parish council said it considers the housing allocation was focused too heavily on East Dorset with West Dorset being allocated very little housing.

Colehill Parish Council also fear that with much of the proposed housing in East Dorset being close to the boundary of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, areas such as Wimborne and Colehill were at risk of being absorbed into BCP in the future.

Verwood Town Council, on the other hand, has taken a pragmatic view with a spokesman saying the authority’s submission had corrected factual information and had tweaked the emphasis rather than raising any objections.

“We all accept that additional housing is necessary,” the spokesperson said.

Dorset CPRE (Campaign to Protect Rural England) also has a view on the plan.

Peter Bowyer, chairman of trustees at Dorset CPRE said, “The housing targets proposed in the Dorset Local Plan are way in excess of any sensible forecast of local housing need. The Local Plan approach gives insufficient recognition of, or respect for, Dorset’s exceptional landscapes, wildlife and heritage including, but not only, the many protected areas and designations, including green belts in East Dorset.”

The list of locations and housing proposed is as follows in East Dorset: Corfe Mullen 400, Ferndown/West Parley 1,100, Verwood 100, West Moors 170, Wimborne/Colehill 495 and Sturminster Marshall 425.

In other parts of the county: Blandford 900, Swanage 150, Lytchett Matravers 200, Wool 300, Dorchester 3,600, Weymouth 550, Charminster 340, Crossways 605, Gillingham 70, Sherborne 1,200, Stalbridge 430, Beaminster 120 and Lyme Regis 40.

Possible future housing sites:

Corfe Mullen:

Land south of Blandford Road, to the north of the village, west of Pardy’s Hill, east and west of Haywards Lane

Ferndown and West Parley:

Green Worlds, Ringwood Road, east and west of New Road, West Parley, Dudsbury Golf Course, and Angel Lane

Verwood:

Land south of Manor Road

West Moors:

Land north of Azalea Roundabout

Wimborne Minster and Colehill:

Land at Leigh Farm, land at Northleigh Lane, land north of Wimborne Road, and south of Wimborne Road West

Sturminster Marshall:

Land at Station Road, Springfield Farm and Sturminster Marshall Golf Course

Dorset Local Plan meets with opposition from town and parish councils