Public relations campaign could be launched for new housing scheme north of Dorchester

Up to 3,500 are being proposed in the Local Plan Review for Dorchester with another 330 on an adjoining site on the edge of Charminster.

The Dorchester North development belt could stretch from the Kingston Maurward roundabout in an arc north of the town to the A37 roundabout near Charminster.

There has already been opposition to the extra homes with several groups, including the Campaign to Protect Rural England and a residents' action committee, threatening a fight over the proposals.

Cllr Tim Yarker, the housing briefholder for West Dorset District Council, said on Tuesday that for Dorchester it will be a once in a generation decision and will have significant impact on the county town and the surrounding countryside.

He said: “It is important that residents have an understanding of the context in which it is proposed – there can be a lot of myths and waving of the wrong end of the stick.”

He said that there should be widespread consultation events which should be well publicised with resources devoted to explaining the need for the proposals.

Council leader Tony Alford said the council understood the need for meaningful public consultation: “We are committed to doing it well and informing the public, especially those who might feel under threat. We need to ensure they understand the rationale."

Dorchester councillor Stella Jones said she welcomed the masterplan approach to the development but said that it was essential everyone knew what it was, and that the plan was adhered to.

“Without it we will get piecemeal development,” she warned.

Cllr Ian Gardner said he hoped that indicative layouts, the new road linking the A35 and A37, and other key aspects, would be available in drawing form at the time of the public consultation but warned that the masterplan itself would not be prepared until after the examination in public of the scheme – because of the cost involved.

Dorchester Mayor David Taylor said people would need to also know what the development looked like from the town and asked for that to happen.

The Dorchester North project is the biggest development scheme suggested in a review of the Local Plan which guides development throughout both West Dorset and Weymouth and Portland up to 2036.

Proposals for the review are expected to go out for public consultation between mid-August and October although the district council has not yet announced any firm dates or locations.

Among the 'visions' for Dorchester in 2036 is to: “Be a place where more people can live and work locally, without having to commute.” and to “Have a balanced population meeting the housing needs of younger working people and families as well as the old.”

The local plan revision document says the proposed Dorchester North development will “deliver the number of homes, workspace and infrastructure necessary to enable the town to continue to grow as a well-planned cohesive whole.

“The development will enhance the town’s role as an economic hub for Dorset, building on its excellent education opportunities, and delivering space for business growth. The town’s tourist economy will be expanded through enhancements to the water meadows and capitalising on the town’s Hardy heritage.”