PLANS are being brought forward that could see up to 50 homes built on school playing fields in Dorchester.

Residents have voiced concerns over a proposal to develop part of the Thomas Hardye School fields with a link road to serve school buses and houses along one side.

Funds from the homes could also go towards a new performing arts centre for the school and it is hoped the scheme will go some way to ease traffic and parking issues in the surrounding area of Dorchester.

However, concerned local residents have hit out at the potential loss of the playing fields, which are widely used by the community.

The plans were confirmed by Dorchester town, district and county councillor Trevor Jones, who has been in discussions with developers ZeroC to find out the latest on the proposals.

He said: “The school is bringing forward proposals to build a link road between Maiden Castle Road and Queens Avenue funded by housing development along one side of it.

“The land in question is leased by them from the Duchy of Cornwall, which is in support. Both are working closely with the county council as the local highway authority to make sure that what they are suggesting will help to deal with some of the parking and traffic issues in that part of town.

“The road will be used to gain access to the houses to be built and to take some of the school buses which at present use Coburg Road.

Cllr Jones assured local residents that their views will be taken into account as the plans move forward.

Thomas Hardye School headteacher Mike Foley said the main aim is to deliver an ‘outstanding’ arts facility.

He added: “[If] we can help to alleviate some of the burden of the buses, which is a secondary outcome, we would be delighted. The main thing is to use what is a redundant strip of land to generate the resources we will need if we are going to build something truly outstanding.”

One local resident, who asked not to be named, said she was concerned about the loss of a ‘valuable piece of recreation land for the town.’ She said: “This area is used by hundreds of people in the local community daily, from all around this side of Dorchester.

“Children use it to walk safely to and from school, it is used for football matches, school functions, family picnics, kids learn to ride their bikes there and huge amounts of people walk their dogs there from 5am to midnight daily.”

She added: “There seems to be so little amenity land left for people to use, and we do not understand why, with so much new building at Poundbury, yet more houses are ‘needed’ to take away something so valuable from local people.

“Everyone I’ve spoken to about it has been shocked at the proposals and most had no idea that the idea was even being considered.”

  • An open evening will be held at Thomas Hardye School from 5.15pm to 8pm on Wednesday, November 12 where outline plans for the scheme will be on display.

 

  • THE APPLICATION will be brought forward by the school but Kim Slowe, pictured right,  from ZeroC says the firm has been helping it in an enabling role to assist with bringing the plans forward.

He said discussions had taken place with a lot of stakeholders in the area and the general consensus was that something had to be done about the problems in Coburg Road.
 

Mr Slowe said: “It’s important people understand the new road is designed to alleviate bus problems and it will be open to the general public.
 

“It’s a bollarded road which will open at key times to allow buses through at the beginning and end of the school day.
 

“There is housing proposed but the important point to get across is that we are talking about only a very small part of the playing field that is not currently used for playing pitches.”