ANOTHER attempt is being made to build homes close to the historic Wolfeton House at Charminster.

The outline application, for up to 89 properties on six hectares, comes less than a year after a previous application for 120 homes was rejected following a planning inquiry lasting almost three weeks.

Another application for the site had been rejected in 2018.

The same company is behind the new scheme claiming that its experts have taken into account the objections made at the 2019 appeal hearing.

The site is as before – south of Westleaze and adjoining Wolfeton House, said to be one of the finest Grade I listed buildings in the county and with links to Thomas Hardy.

An inquiry report, released in December last year, found that the main points against the application for 120 homes were about the effect on the setting of Wolfeton House, the consequences for the village conservation area and the enjoyment of walkers using rights of way in the area.

During the inquiry both the Thomas Hardy Society, Historic England and an architectural historian expressed concerns about the effect on Wolfeton House, mentioned by Hardy in his novels.

Emma Thimbleby, speaking for the family which owns Wolfeton, and has spent decades restoring it, claimed the house and its setting would be ruined forever by the new homes.

Developers Land Value Alliances argued at the inquiry that the scheme would bring economic benefits to the area with more than a third of the homes classed as 'affordable.'

They denied their project would significantly affect Wolfeton House and claimed any increase in traffic would be far less than opponents estimated.

The company say the inspector commented that some development on the site might be acceptable, a view it claims is shared by Historic England.

The new submission says that 35per cent of the homes (31) would be affordable; that it would create a new road into the site at Westleaze and would offer highway works to improve pedestrian safety along East Hill and Westleaze.

Letters have been sent to 140 homes adjacent, or close to the site, explaining the company’s proposals and also to Charminster parish council.

Comments on the application can be made via the Dorset Council website until January 5th. The council says it expects the decision on the outline application would not go before a committee of councillors, but be decided by a planning officer.