WORK has started on the Neighbourhood Plan for West Dorset.

It will cover the parish areas of Allington, Bridport, Bothenhampton and Walditch, Bradpole and Symondsbury, with launch events taking place across the area this November.

A drop-in information session will be held on Saturday, November 8, between 10am and 4pm, in Bridport Town Hall.

Similar sessions will then take place in other venues across the area, followed by a public meeting in the Town Hall.

Mathew Dalton-Aram is the newly appointed Neighbourhood Plan project manager.

He said: “The Neighbour-hood Plan is a great opportunity for local people to decide how they want their area to develop.”

He added: “The community will decide what goes in.

“When the plan is adopted it will be a statutory document that will influence future planning in the area.

“We hope that people will come to the events to find out more and give their views on what they would like the plan to cover. We also hope to recruit volunteers to be part of a steering group that will lead on the development of the plan or to take part in one of the many working groups to be established.”

These events were ‘just the start’ of the Neighbourhood Plan project, added Mr Dalton-Aram, with additional information to be issued later this month.

“There will be widespread engagement with the community at every stage of the project,” he said.

For more details visit bridport-tc.gov.uk/Core/ Bridport-Town-Council/Pages/ Neighbourhood_Plan__1.aspx