Dorset Council should push back against unrealistic Housing Targets

DORSET CPRE PRESS RELEASE 23^RD JUNE 2025

Dorset Council needs to challenge unrealistic central housing targets to protect our communities and environment, says Dorset Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE).

Dorset Council will consult this summer on a Local Plan which will determine housing and infrastructure development for the next 15 years. The Council meets shortly to discuss its approach to this consultation.

Dorset Council gave a robust response to Government consultation on the planning framework (NPPF) in autumn 2024 when it stated in answer to Question 19 “… the figures that the method generates need to be realistic. The figure for Dorset (3,230) is nearly twice the average annual completion rate, and in our view is not a realistic target given the constrained nature of Dorset, its lack of major industry/employment, and relatively poor transport connections. We consider moving completions towards the current standard method target (c.1,800 pa) to be a realistic challenge.”

This stance built on and reflected the responses from communities to the previous Council’s draft Local Plan. That plan, based on earlier housing targets, was overwhelmingly rejected by local people. As the then Leader of Dorset Council stated… “As a result of the unprecedented 9,000 responses our public consultation received, many residents share my view that the draft Local Plan chases housing numbers rather than prioritises local needs.” (DC Leader, 11^thJanuary 2022; see also Annex for more on the responses from Dorset communities.)

Dorset Council therefore has a mandate to take a constrained approach to developing a new Local Plan that respects our communities and Dorset’s very special environment and heritage. The Council’s Local Plan should be based on housing figures which accurately reflect Dorset’s real housing needs, including for truly affordable homes for local people.

In the upcoming public consultation on the Local Plan, Dorset Council needs to inform and consult with local people about the challenges we face and the approach that it intends to take, including on housing numbers and affordable homes. It needs to engage now with local communities and seek their views. People simply don’t know what’s going on. Dorset Council can build a powerful and constructive partnership with local communities and the wide range of organisations which share the Council’s vision: meeting the real needs of local communities, safeguarding the environment, restoring nature and addressing climate change.

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Annex

Dorset Council Local Plan – Cabinet update Posted July 26^th 2022

“We received an unprecedented 9,000 responses to our consultation on the draft Dorset Council Local Plan. In summary, respondents told us we should:

• Challenge the housing numbers – they should reflect needs of Dorset, not blindly follow a government calculation and not include housing for BCP Council
• Support building more affordable housing across the area, helping working families and young people to live in Dorset
• Protect Dorset’s unique natural environment
• Tackle climate change as our leading priority, ensuring the Dorset Council Local Plan and our Climate and Ecological Emergency Strategy and action plan are fully aligned
• Consider the infrastructure requirements of new development: public transport, roads, health and education services, utilities to ensure the needs of residents are met

We have listened to you, and it became clear that the National Policy, regulations and local constraints in place for councils when devising these plans were preventing us from coming up with the best possible Local Plan that reflects the needs and aspirations of Dorset’s residents.”