Dorchester could get a second Poundbury-style development.

The idea of building an almost self-contained community beyond the water meadows to the north of the town is being proposed to help meet housing targets for West Dorset.

If it goes ahead, like Poundbury, it would have its own shops, community facilities and schools – but unlike Poundbury will be aimed at a younger age group.

Ultimately the site could provide more than 3,500 homes with another 330 in a separate development west of Charminster.

The developments are suggested in a review of the Local Plan which takes the area up to 2036.

Proposals from it will go out for public consultation between mid-August and October.

Behind the idea is to provide affordable homes for people who work in the county town. Dorchester has the distinction of having almost twice as many jobs, 15,100, than economically active residents, 9,195.

“Workers commute in from nearby towns (particularly Weymouth) and from the surrounding rural area reflecting its historic position as the county town. One of the challenges for the local plan is to try to improve the balance between housing and jobs in this area,” said the authors of the review document which goes before councillors in Dorchester tomorrow.

Among the 'visions' for Dorchester in 2036 is to ensure it is "a place where more people can live and work locally, without having to commute” that has "a balanced population meeting the housing needs of younger working people and families as well as the old".

Mayor, town and district councillor, David Taylor, welcomed the proposals.

He said: “We have got to be realistic, we need homes which are affordable and we need to keep young families in Dorchester. This could be an excellent way of achieving that. It's much better than expecting people to commute what, for some, is probably a hundred miles a week to come and work here."

The local plan revision document says the proposed Dorchester North development will “deliver the number of homes, workspace and infrastructure necessary to enable the town to continue to grow as a well-planned cohesive whole".

It added: “The development will enhance the town’s role as an economic hub for Dorset, building on its excellent education opportunities, and delivering space for business growth. The town’s tourist economy will be expanded through enhancements to the water meadows and capitalising on the town’s Hardy heritage."

A new road between the A35 and A37 is envisaged for the development together with a 'school campus' with first, middle and higher levels.

At least 35 per cent of the homes are to be 'affordable' with the rate of building expected to be around 240 homes a year with shops, a GP and dentist surgeries and a community meeting place, which could be shared with one of the schools. There would also be public transport and cycle routes into Dorchester town centre.

The proposed site runs from the Kingston Maurward roundabout to the north east and the roundabout at the bottom of the Western Relief Road to the north west. It includes Coker's Frome and Frome Whitfield and Lower Burton Farm at the southern edge and Higher Burton Farm and Higher Kingston Farm at the northern extremity.

The County Show ground is within the development area and part of it is crossed by the Piddle valley road.

The document acknowledges that there could be significant engineering work to manage the water courses and flood risk on parts of the site towards Charminster by the A37.