A PLEA has gone out to the developers of Dorchester's prison site not to price local people out of the market.

The Dorchester and District Labour Party is urging developers City and Country to make sure their plans for the prison site include affordable homes.

The party claims residents in West Dorset on average wages cannot hope to own the luxury accommodation that is taking over the town.

Local Labour members are also concerned that the best brown field sites are being lost to the luxury market whilst working people in the town are overlooked and have no voice.

Lee Rhodes said: "Brown field sites are a finite resource in Dorchester and we can't afford to keep building luxury homes on them.

"We need proper planning and homes for local people who earn local rates of pay."

Hundreds of local residents attended a public consultation event held by City and Country at the Dorchester jail last month.

The event was an opportunity for the developers to listen to the views of members of the public and invited them in to see the site before any plans are drawn up.

Claudia Sorin from the Dorchester Labour Party welcomed the involvement of the local community and said she hoped to see more chances for the public to have their say on any plans when they are put forward.

She said: "I welcome the public event held by the developer City and Country, however more of these consultations are required before any decisions are made."

Barry Thompson added: "Labour has committed to building 200,000 homes a year by 2020 and restoring the affordable homes quota.

"This sort of plot is exactly what we need to achieve these aims.

"Dorchester needs a mix of affordable housing to rent as well as to buy."

The developers completed the purchase of the Victorian prison from the Ministry of Justice earlier this year along with jails at Shepton Mallet, Kingston and Gloucester.

HMP Dorchester closed its doors for the final time in December 2013.

A spokesman for the prison developers City and Country said they did not wish to comment on the matters raised by the Dorchester Labour Party at this early stage.

The firm is planning to hold further consultation events on its plans for the site.