Why Dorset must push back on Dorset’s Local Plan Consultation

In the September edition of The BV Magazine, Rupert Hardy from North Dorset CPRE explains why Dorset’s Local Plan Consultation matters – and how best to stop some of the worst housing proposals. Please read this – it is so important!

**** Updated 13th October: There is still time to respond to the Dorset Council consultations on the Local Plan and the Local Transport Plan. The Local Transport Plan consultation will now close on Monday 20th October and the Local Plan consultation will close on Friday 31st October. You can also email your responses to the teams: ltp@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk for the Local Transport Plan – or – planningpolicyconsult@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk for the Local Plan. Read Dorset CPRE’s responses to the consultation.

Extract and areas covered include:

A flawed formula for housing need

Where are the sites coming from?
We are disappointed that town centre regeneration is not included in this phase of the Local Plan. With high street retail in decline, we urge more imaginative new uses for brownfield sites.

Who will be most affected?

Consequences if this goes ahead

A few bright spots
We applaud the Council’s proposal to phase many of the sites in favour of one less hellbent on concerting over the countryside. We also support efforts to include employment sites alongside new housing. And CPRE is especially pleased to see Design Codes covered, with a push for local vernacular homes built to Net Zero standards – a welcome shift from the soulless, inefficient “Noddy boxes” developers too often impose.

What can you do
If the Council, armed with compelling evidence from local communities, can show that certain sites are unstainable and unsuitable for development, then they can reduce the housing numbers. Lower targets reduce the risk of failing the Housing Delivery Test which triggers the dreaded “presumption in favour of sustainable development”, opening the door to speculative development.

How to respond
Visit Dorset Council to see the plans and take park in the survey: you have until 31st October (new date) to respond. At the very least contact your parish or town council, which will certainly be responding, and which can consult Dorset CPRE for help.

Read full article

Let’s stand together to protect our countryside for future generations.