RESIDENTS, councillors, campaign groups and an MP have united against plans for a 4,000-home development north of Dorchester.

The Dorchester North extension has been put forward as a 'preferred option' for housing in Dorset Council's Local Plan currently out for consultation.

West Dorset Tory MP Chris Loder has joined campaigners in opposing Conservative leaders at Dorset Council over their vision for future housing in the county.

Dorset Echo:

He joined a packed online meeting organised by Save the Area North of Dorchester (STAND) to state why he opposed the plan.

Dorchester councillor Alistair Chisholm, who also leads STAND, said the town council is opposing the development as the Local Plan consultation reaches its halfway point.

STAND along with other groups including the Thomas Hardy Society and the Dorchester Civic Society have opposed the development on grounds including a 'lack of traffic and transportation data to justify the proposals', and 'the likelihood of significant damaging impact on Dorchester and its setting'.

Dorset Echo:

Cllr Chisholm said: "This is something which is going to happen in our county for the next 17 years."

Speaking at Thursday night's meeting, Mr Loder said Dorset Council would do better to support housing growth in villages and smaller towns which would support local shops, village schools and rural jobs and allow families to stay local.

Mr Loder said the area already has too many second and holiday homes, which according to Opening Doors Dorset stands at 600 empty homes in Dorset and 2,600 seconds homes in West Dorset.

"4,000 houses on the outskirts of Dorchester is not the way to do it. It's not a plan that's accepted by the local community," said Mr Loder.

Stewart Palmer from Dorchester, said: "It's all about the need for more houses. It's important that opposing these plans is driven by data and not emotion - so we need to prove there's no need for the development."

Mark Chutter from Dorchester, said: "The history of the landscape will be ruined."

Previously, Mr Chisholm has said the area north of Dorchester has not changed since Roman times - and is rich in prehistory.

He said: "It's a very unique feature of the area and developing on it will see it lose inestimable value."

"We will definitely arrange a public meeting like this again."

Dorset Council were criticised repeatedly throughout the meeting for not listening to local people – with planning portfolio holder Cllr David Walsh not responding to an invitation to attend.

In a statement before the meeting he said: "We're required by central government to plan for the housing target calculated using their standard approach.

"If we don’t plan to meet these targets, we're required to demonstrate exceptional circumstances.

"We appreciate some groups by their very nature will question this need to build housing, but we must ensure that Dorset residents have places to live and work – especially young people – and our local economy is able to support those who already live here.

"This is a true consultation for the draft Local Plan and, because of the pandemic, we are doing more than we ever have before to publicise and support the consultation to ensure as many people as possible can have their say."

To participate in the Local Plan visit www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/Dorset-Council-Local-Plan