UP to 230 new houses could be built on the former Eldridge Pope brewery site in Dorchester under new planning policy.

More than 100 town and parish councillors turned out for a preview of the framework for planning applications in West Dorset.

And they were told that around 1,340 plots need to be found to meet the need for housing in the area.

West Dorset District Council's planning and environment director David Evans unveiled a raft of new policies aimed at making it easier for residents to find affordable housing within walking distance of facilities such as a shop or post office and to be able to find employment.

Mr Evans and his team told councillors that a number of government policies had changed since the last local plan was unveiled in 1994, including policies aimed at getting developers to use sustainable materials in building homes.

But the district was still under pressure to meet the target of 9,000 new homes by 2016.

And the homes needed to be built in urban areas or in areas on good public transport routes to make it easy for people to work and live.

Areas mapped out as possible sites for new housing include St George's Road in Dorchester, which could see up to 36 houses built, Trinity Street, with up to 15 houses, Poundbury, with 520 houses and Putton Lane in Chickerell, with up to 220 homes.

Mr Evans told the meeting, held at Kingston Maurward Agricultural College last night, that councillors would be pressing for around a third of large developments to be affordable housing.

He also said that an up-to-date housing needs survey was currently being carried out and the results would be published next month.

The public consultation on the revised local plan starts next Friday when people can air their views on a particular concern or express their support for any of the new policies after viewing the plans at libraries and council offices.

When the consultation period ends on March 13 the plans will go to the next stage - but they will not be adopted formally until 2005.

Mr Evans said: "Where the old local plan is out of date until that time, the new plan will supersede it.

"So as local councillors you will need to familiarise yourself with the document and the changes in policy."