That photo in the Dorset Echo of the flooded River Frome floodplain near Dorchester on Friday March 13 says it all! The plan to build between 3,500 and 4,000 new houses is complete madness. Building on a floodplain is a no, no anyway, but especially when it will needlessly cover up and destroy valuable historic sites and wipe out the green border between North Dorchester and hectares of unspoilt countryside and destroy the sense of ‘village’ in Stinsford and Charminster. It isn’t as if the developers are guaranteeing a significant percentage of affordable housing and houses to rent. This is an act of simple greed and vandalism of biodiversity. It also contradicts the DCC commitment to fighting climate change last May. It’s a Local Plan that requires prompt shredding.

The Dorset Council Cabinet member for planning Cllr. David Walsh maintains it’s necessary to conform to Government guidelines. But I and many others in the Dorchester area say ‘hooey’ to such deferential politics and demand a review of the whole stupid idea at the earliest opportunity. We’re all currently fighting the immediate crisis of the coronavirus, but sometime soon in the near future the issue will come to the fore again.

STAND ( Save the Area North of Dorchester) and the CPRE ( Campaign for the Preservation of Rural England) are standing together to fight this misguided planning proposal tooth and nail. They will be likely to have to eventually raise ‘big bucks’ to hire the best QC’Ss in the land for a tough and protracted campaign. Anyone angered by these proposals should contact STAND and join the campaign www.stand-dorcheter.net

Richard Denton-White

Mill Lane

Dorchester