I WRITE in response to your article 'Build to the East campaigners say' in the Dorset Echo of January 12.

Firstly, I thank Kate Hebditch of STAND (Save the Land North of Dorchester) for drawing attention to alternative proposals to the devastating 'Preferred Option' to the land to the north of Dorchester promoted by West Dorset District Council.

The response to her question at last Thursday's West Dorset District Council was well rehearsed, but to claim the alternative site at Upper Woodsford –. . . was not suitable and would need considerable investment if it were to go ahead – is disingenuous.

Both sites would need to bear the same degree of infrastructural cost to succeed, not least of which will be the need for 35 per cent affordable/social housing.

Furthermore, Councillor Gardner's committee only had a map with a line drawn round the Upper Woodsford site at the time the Preferred Option was decided upon, rather than the very detailed 300+ page application submitted to the council in December which they now have to hand.

I believe the policy status of the North Dorchester Preferred Option is weak.

The level of objections to an emerging policy impacts on the weight that can be afforded to the policy.

The more objections a policy receives the less weight should be given to the policy until the point where the objections have been resolved through the Local Plan Examination process.

If we ever reach this point, the Preferred Option will fail or the whole plan will be scrapped by the new Dorset Unitary Council who will consider other options less damaging to the county town.

Secondly, the non-partisan STAND campaign is doing such good work for Dorchester.

However, it is a disappointment to me when I had agreed with Lib Dem Councillors that this was the best way for the town and you now report Dorchester residents are being targeted in a letter campaign and petition by them.

Sadly, this new campaign is clearly for their own electoral advantage rather than for the best interests of the town of my birth.

By setting up their own campaign, the Lib Dems are playing into the hands of the developers and planners who would be delighted to see them divide any opposition to the Preferred Option.

The STAND petition to prevent the desecration of the land to the north of Dorchester can be found at tinyurl.com/ycfkrrgm Please add your support.

GERALD DUKE

Dorchester West Ward Town and District Councillor