Banner campaigning against north of Dorchester housing development removed by council

The STAND (Save the Area North of Dorchester) campaign group had hung the banner in South Street on Monday.

The banner encouraged people to share their viewsPicture: STAND

The group was told to take it down because the banner does not meet Dorset Council's criteria, and was 'not impartial.'

STAND disagrees, and says the banner encouraged people to take part in the council's own Local Plan consultation, which creates a blueprint for new developments in the county.

The group is campaigning against the proposed housing development as they say the new homes will not be affordable for local people, bringing more people into the town and placing extra pressure on local infrastructure and public services.

Another concern is that the proposed site is of historic interest, dating back to the Roman era, as well as being the inspiration behind works by Thomas Hardye.

After the group did not remove the banner, Dorset Council workers arrived on a cherry picker this morning to take it down. 

The banner being removed Picture: Chris Kipper Roberts

"The conditions are not ideal for taking down banners," said Dorchester councillor Alistair Chisholm on behalf of STAND.

"Where it has gone I do not know - but we want it back.

"It was such an inoffensive banner - we were actually doing the council's work for them by drawing attention to the Local Plan consultation, and encouraging local people to have their say on a huge issue for Dorchester.

"The council said it didn't meet their criteria for a banner - their criteria are apparently that it has to be a charitable or community event.

"I would argue that a public consultation on a Local Plan that decides what happens and where for the next 15 years in Dorset is very much a community event.

"The council then went on to say (the banner) isn't impartial."

Mr Chisholm asked for advice on how to change the banner in order to meet the criteria, but received no reply.

"I thought it was very moderate, very inoffensive, very well balanced and actually helping people to respond to the public consultation," he added.

The banner displays the STAND website address, where there is a link to Dorset Council's Local Plan consultation.

Gerald Duke, chairman of Dorchester Conservative Group, said: "If the council is trying to encourage community interest and participation in the Local Plan consultation, that's what the banner sought to do.

"It is censorship, pure and simple, from a dictatorial council. I am very concerned Dorset Council is not doing a proper job.

"The people who are making the decisions come from places like Gillingham and Verwood where they have little knowledge of the town.

"I don't think the banner did any harm where it was - it brings awareness to an important issue."

The yellow and red areas of the map show the size of the proposed development

Mr Duke said it is particularly important to encourage public participation as the usual channels have been curtailed due to the coronavirus.

He added: "The council is holding online meetings during hours during the day when people are working - I think they are doing everything they can to make the Local Plan as inaccessible to local people as possible.

"On the Dorchester section of the draft Local Plan they've done a cut and paste job, bringing in retail proposals that with the decline in retail, are hopelessly outdated. 

"They've totally missed the point that many retail premises could be converted into residential use.

"Combined with available brownfield sites, in Dorchester alone it would be possible to meet the Government's required housing quota without the need for desecrating greenfield sites like the one they're proposing north of Dorchester."

He added: "What the council is doing by encouraging sites like (north of Dorchester) is easy planning - some have said lazy planning - and I wouldn't disagree with that."

Meanwhile, cllr Chisholm also expressed concerns that residents may not be aware of the significance of the Local Plan document, or that the consultation is being carried out.

He said it is particularly important for Dorchester, "Because of the extraordinary suggestion that we should have a massive development, larger than new Poundbury, north of the water meadows."

The STAND group is objecting to the development on several grounds, including:

• Impact on Dorchester

• Connection to Dorchester and road links

• Impact on the environment

• Impact on the heritage

• Impact on tourism

Cllr Chisholm said: "I compare it very often to the threat to the town that was posed by the railways in the 19th century.

"The rail line coming down from Bristol wanted to drive a cutting through the Poundbury iron age hill fort - but were instead persuaded to build a tunnel under it.

"Meanwhile the southern railway coming from Southampton wanted to destroy Maumbury Rings but was persuaded to take a sharper turn to the south, and so the railway borders the edge of the neolithic monument.

"We spared the town these huge monuments from that threat - in my opinion and the opinion of many others - this is an equal threat to the very nature, setting and feel to the county town."

In response cllr Ray Bryan, Dorset Council Portfolio holder for Highways, Travel and Environment, said: “We grant the permission for banners to be installed over the highways. These banners should only promote community or charity events.

"On this occasion permission was refused as the content of the banner was not promoting community or charity events. We advised the group before it was displayed that the banner would be removed if installed.

“We want as many people as possible to take part in the Dorset Council Local Plan consultation. We have displays in empty shop windows in Dorchester, and many other towns across Dorset, to make sure people are aware of the plan and how they can have their say. There are also paper copies available as part of the click and collect offer of our libraries.”