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Refresh on key points we made on Dorset Local Plan
Government housing targets derived from the “standard method” would lead to an unsustainable and undeliverable plan. Targets of around 3,300 homes per year (55,000 over the plan period) far exceed Dorset’s historic delivery rates—averaging just 1,300 homes per year over the past two decades—and would overwhelm local infrastructure. Developers build only what the market can absorb, and Dorset’s constrained geography and infrastructure make such levels of growth implausible. A plan attempting to meet these targets would fail the housing delivery test, triggering the Government’s “presumption in favour of sustainable development” and allowing speculative, developer-led expansion across rural Dorset.Dorset CPRE’s position is therefore clear. We support a realistic, locally justified Local Plan that:
- Meets Dorset’s genuine housing and employment needs;
- Includes assured provision for truly affordable housing for local people in the form of social rent;
- Protects the countryside, Green Belt, and National Landscapes;
- Directs growth to only proven sustainable locations with robust existing infrastructure;
- Adopts a Brownfield First approach; and
- Embeds and is consistent with clear climate, nature recovery, and net zero policies.
We welcome Dorset Council’s decision to commission, jointly with BCP, an up-to-date assessment of Dorset’s housing need. This work, together with new evidence such as the Green Belt Review and site assessments, should inform a revised Regulation 18 draft Local Plan that is realistic and environmentally responsible.
The latest ONS (Office for National Statistics) 2022-based household projections, published on 28th October 2025, suggest that Dorset’s true household growth will be between 1,700 and 2,000 per annum, depending on migration assumptions.
Dorset Council received in excess of 10,000 responses to the Local Plan Site Options and Local Transport Plan Consultations. We believe our charity was successful in encouraging members of the public to respond. Please visit our Resources webpage to view our responses to these consultations and read article on the Dorset Local Plan in our Autumn Magazine.
In conclusion, Dorset CPRE urges Dorset Council to develop a Local Plan that reflects what Dorset can sustainably deliver, not what national targets demand. The Local Plan must be sound, evidence-based, and faithful to Dorset’s landscape and community character. We remain ready to work constructively with the Council and its officers to help achieve that outcome.
