The first phase of a huge 500 home development to give 'heart' to a community, has got the green light from councillors.  

Councillors voted to accept a proposal to build 99 homes, a doctors surgery and a village hall farmland at Crossways at a West Dorset District Council planning meeting today (November 16). 

The residential accommodation and will consist of 65 open market, 17 rented and 17 shared ownership homes. 

The build on the land south of Warmwell Road is the first stage in a huge development planned for the land which covers a total area of 44 hectares.  

Councillors also gave the go-ahead to an outline application for 401 further open market and affordable homes on the site.

As part of the approval, 35 per cent of all homes in the development will have to be affordable housing - a figure which could be revisited as the scheme progresses.

Councillor for Broadmayne and Crossways, Nigel Bundy said he was pleased "common sense has prevailed on affordable housing."

Speaking at the meeting, agent for Cavendish and Gloucester Properties (C&G) Jeremy Higgins said: "The lack of people from local community being here to speak or object speaks volumes about the extensive amount of time the applicants have spend on the consultation and speaking with community members.

"It has also been agreed with the Parish Council and there are no objections from the statutory consultations."

Cllr Bundy said it was unprecedented for the council to have only 15 comments on the application to date and not a single person speaking in objection to a development of this size at the meeting.

He said: "I'm pleased to see the applicant has taken things on board. The development will be a benefit to Crossways. Does Crossways itself need 500 new homes? No it doesn't - but this development will service the wider community."

Cllr Bundy added the current village hall was outdated and, since the closure of Broadmayne doctors surgery, the doctors at Crossways had been serving an additional 600 to 800 patients. 

"The surgery is creaking at the edges and needs to be bigger," he said. 

Case officer David Hodges said the village hall and surgery development was strategically designed to create a 'new hub for the village'. 

The developer would also make a £2.7m education contribution to help local schools including Frome Valley First School and St Mary's Puddletown which will need to be extended to accommodate extra pupils.

After the meeting Councillor Ian Gardner, West Dorset District Council’s portfolio holder for planning, said: “We’re pleased that we’ve been able to approve another large development specified in our local plan.

“Once completed, this site will provide much need open market and affordable housing, as well as community facilities such as a new village hall and doctors surgery.”

The development will also see improvement works on Warmwell Road with the speed limit being reduced to 30mph and, due to concerns from the Highways Agency, work will be carried out at the Max Gate junction of the A35 to ease increased traffic. 

Councillors unanimously voted to approve the plans.