VILLAGERS in Puddletown fighting a 15-home development in their community have become early beneficiaries of new planning guidelines.

The guidance recently issued by the Government to prevent ‘garden grabbing’ was one of the reasons cited as West Dorset District Council’s development control committee rejected a planning application by Wyatt Homes for the development south of the village High Street.

Local residents were celebrating after the meeting as they had fought a passionate campaign against the proposed development after citing concerns over traffic, over-development, invasion of privacy of nearby homes and the impact on the character of Puddletown.

Before the application was discussed at the meeting members were reminded of the new planning guidance, which meant that garden space was no longer designated as brownfield land and gave planning authorities more power to object to proposed development.

The new guidelines also remove a minimum housing density of 30 dwellings per hectare.

Several villagers voiced their objections at the meeting, with their views backed up by Parish Council chairman Stephen Buck and local district councillor Patrick Cooke.

Chairman of the Puddletown Society Bill Maunder told councillors: “We object to this development because of scale, density, safety concerns, access problems and the detrimental effect on the community of Puddletown.”

As well as the new planning guidelines, committee members also cited the adverse affect on the amenity of neighbouring properties and the impact on the adjoining conservation area and listed buildings.

Following the meeting, local vicar the Rev Roy Bennett said: “I am very pleased because it was an inappropriate development for that small site in the centre of the village. We are not opposed to development – we are opposed to shoe-horning in houses overlooking neighbours to the extent that they were.”

Resident Ann Soderberg said she felt the new planning guidance, which was issued just a week ago, was crucial in helping the villagers secure their victory and hoped it would send a message to other communities.