Dorset CPRE says Council should prioritise residents during Local Plan delay
The deadline complete the housing document has been extended to 2026
Dorset Council is being urged to think of the needs of locals who cannot afford to stay in the county.
Delays to the Local Plan, which would have seen 39,000 homes built over the next 17 years, have been welcomed by the Campaign to Protect Rural England and Dorset Deserves Better.
Dorset Council now has a deadline of 2026 to submit their housing development plans to the Government.
The campaign groups are now calling on the authority to use this time to consult and work openly with communities on a Local Plan that responds to local people’s concerns, priorities and needs.
The removal of the “duty to cooperate” with neighbouring authorities also means Dorset Council does not now need to make up for a shortfall of homes from the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole area, for example.
The CPRE and Dorset Deserves Better say local people said 'loud and clear' they want a Plan which delivers:
• The right development in the right places, and of the right quality.
• Lower housing numbers based on recent data, not the out-dated assumptions currently used.
• More truly affordable homes, social homes and affordable rental properties for Dorset’s working families and young people.
• Protection for Dorset’s unique natural environment and Greenbelt.
• Action on the Climate and Ecological Emergencies.
• Necessary infrastructure including public transport, health and education services, and utilities.
Dorset CPRE say they look forward to DC discussing with communities what housing numbers and locations they now have in mind.
The Council’s reference to “more focus on new or significantly expanded settlements to help deliver the longer-term growth needs of Dorset” will ring alarm bells in some communities, particularly given concern regarding the 3,750 homes proposal for North Dorchester.
Peter Bowyer, Chair of the Trustees of Dorset CPRE, said:
“We call on the Council to listen to our communities and stand up for the priorities and concerns that local people clearly expressed in consultation on the first draft Local Plan.
"We look forward to joining with local communities and councils, and with the Dorset Deserves Better partnership, in a positive and constructive discussion with the Council about the Local Plan that Dorset wants and needs”.
Giles Watts of the Dorset Deserves Better Campaign said:
“We welcome Dorset Council’s announcement which supports many of the issues we have been asking for. We applaud the council’s decision to listen to the concerns of local people and change direction in a way which we believe will be very positive for the future of Dorset.
"Nevertheless, we still have some concerns over the lack of emphasis on brownfield developments first and the impact of new greenfield developments on infrastructure and the natural environment.
"We believe that rewriting the Local Plan is a huge opportunity for the Council to progress a radically different and exciting vision of the future based on renewable energy, green jobs, care for the natural environment and, ultimately, supporting the needs of the people of Dorset.
"We hope that Dorset Council will now work with us to help create and deliver this new vision for our future”.