It could be ‘back to the drawing board’ for plans to use some Dorchester playing fields and parks for affordable housing.

Town councillors have admitted they underestimated public feeling for green areas dotted around the town – and are now recommending not to build on them.

The council carried out a public consultation at meetings in February with local social housing provider, Magna.

A final decision will now be taken at the town council meeting on Tuesday.

Play sites at Elizabeth Place, Sandringham, Fortress Green, Mellstock Avenue and Poundbury Crescent were looked at.

At the council's Policy Committee members backed a resolution from Mayor, Cllr Susie Hosford, to ditch the proposal to use the sites the council owns to boost the number of affordable homes locally.

Town clerk Adrian Stuart admitted that, despite the publicity, the council struggled to come up with a list of people who would be interested in the homes and said that the majority of those who attended the meetings wanted to protect their nearby green spaces.

“I am quite clear that the public response was ‘don’t do it’ so we shouldn’t now go ahead,” said Cllr Hosford.

“There now might be a backlash from those who need affordable homes but they didn’t turn out at the meetings and say so.”

Cllr Tim Harries said he regretted the decision and claimed that many people had misunderstood the proposals.

“People have either been fed information which was not entirely correct, or misunderstood…we will now be damned if we do and damned if we don’t go ahead.”

Cllr Richard Biggs called on the council to now consider improving the play areas: “Perhaps we underestimated how people feel about these green spaces and should look, instead, at ways of improving them.”

Cllr Alistair Chishiolm said there had been a number of 'spectacular failures' over trying to build affordable homes in Dorchester over recent years.

Referring to the former prison site he said: "People have been appalled that five acres could be developed without a single affordable home.

"There has been so little action from the district council and the county council that we now need to show that someone can use public land for public benefit...I do hope this principle hasn't vanished into the ether."

Cllr Gerald Duke said he was concerned that the Elizabeth Place play area, the only one not owned by the town council, could still be built on, but Cllr Molly Rennie said she believed that Magna, which owns the play area, would not submit an application, given the public reaction.

"But they do own lots of other pockets of land around the town which they might look at," she said.

Dorset Echo:

Elizabeth Place playing field

Residents' relief as council hears their concerns 

BY KATIE WILLIAMS

Ideas for building on green spaces in Dorchester ‘should never have been considered’, a concerned resident said.

Speaking about the town council’s U-turn recommendation, Darren Orchard, of ‘Save Fortress Green’ campaign group, said although he was glad residents had been listened to it was a “shock” for it to have been put forward. He said: “All residents here were extremely surprised that they would ever consider it.

They didn’t do their homework and tried to push through the idea of getting houses built on public areas. “Green spaces in a community are extremely valuable. It would be an unbelievably disastrous mistake. They’re going to have to accept that these areas can’t be built on.”

Naomi Patterson has campaigned against building on the five Dorchester parks, particularly Poundbury Crescent play area which is used by her son George.

She said: “At least they’ve realised just how much these parks are loved by everybody in the community. It’s nice to know they are listening. I’m quite chuffed."

Paul Read, head of development at Magna Housing, said: "Our purpose is to help people meet their housing needs so we look at any opportunity that arises to build new homes.

"We plan to build 600 homes in the area where we operate over the next three years and Dorchester is within that area.

"Whatever is decided about the recreation sites by the town council, we'll continue to work with them to meet the housing needs of the town."