More than 20 objections have been lodged over plans for up to 40 homes on a rural site in west Dorset.

The outline planning application to Dorset Council is for farm land east of The Paddocks and north of Chedington Lane at Mosterton.

Among the objectors is Mosterton parish council which asks planners to reject the proposal. It says that despite claims in the application about good transport links the village has little in the way of public transport and some routes mentioned, have stopped operating.

The parish council says that most of the people who live on the site will need to drive, adding to traffic problems along Chedington Lane, an unclassified road, and with the main road junction at The Paddocks.

It also says that the primary school is nearing capacity and that once the housing scheme at Naomi Close is completed, could be beyond the pupil limit: the preschool is full and has a waiting list.

Other fears include that building on the site could add to the risk of flooding and claims that the sewage system is already at capacity with occasional backflow problems.

“Mosterton Village has been subject to several medium to large planning applications and developments in recent years, and seen a significant increase in households, with no corresponding improvements in infrastructure. Whilst the parish council is mindful of the local authorities need to secure additional housing, without significant investment in the local school, transport, sewerage system and facilities in general, the village feels that no further large-scale developments should be granted permission in the village,” said a statement from the parish.

Other comments from residents make similar points including those concerned about the effect on local views within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Several say they object to the idea that the outline application will be decided by a planning officer and several have called for a decision to be made by the area planning committee made up of councillors.

Hortons Estate Developments Ltd say the site they are proposing would be accessed via a new road from The Paddocks which itself has ten homes just off the A3066 and Chedington Lane.

The ‘in principle’ application gives no details of the size of the proposed homes although a document with the application predicts that there could be 175 traffic movements to and from the site each day, peaking around 8am and 5-6pm. It claims that this number would have no significant impact on local roads.

It also says that because of the proximity to the village many trips could be on foot, although a new dropped kerb would have to be installed on the A3066 to the south of The Paddocks to deal with prams, buggies and people in wheelchairs.

The developers say they would manage the surface water with the aid of a storage pond, with approximately 350m³ of storage volume, in the south-east corner of the site.