AN application for 30 homes in Charminster has been approved – which will result in changes to access on Wanchard Lane.

The Lewis Wyatt Homes application has been scaled back from 41 properties after negotiations with Dorset Council. Ten of the homes will be ‘affordable’, the rest, mainly two and three-bed homes, for sale on the open market.

Charminster Parish Council and many village residents have maintained their objections despiite the changes made to the original plans over the last four years.

Parish councillors say the site will be an overdevelopment affecting the Conservation area, with some of the new homes overlooking existing  properties and the likelihood of additional traffic problems.

The site is also close to the busy Dorset Council highway depot and some industrial units Parish councillors have describe the development on the other side of Wanchard Lane as "a step too far."

The field, to the north of the Lane, will have a new access junction from Wanchard Lane , close to North Street, which will result in a partial one-way system being brought into play to make it safer. This will mean traffic having to gain access to the site only from an easterly direction.

Dorset councillors on the area planning committee welcomed the development, phase 4, in the ongoing Charminster Farm scheme.

Cllr Belinda Ridout, who proposed accepting the plans, said the development had been well thought out with a  good quality design and materials and when viewed from the adjacent village Conservation Area, would be seen in the context of the peviousing phases.

Cllr Sherry Jespersen shared the comments saying the new homes would be something Dorset council be proud of, which she said, was not always the case with some developers.

Councillors were told that most of the trees and hedges on the sloping site would be kept with new planting and landscaping helping the new homes fit into the landscape with a central green area.

Although the site is considered to be outside of the village development area it has been identified for housing in the Local Plan, with an existing property, at 15 North Street, the closest to the site.

Local materials have been chosen for the majority of the homes and where flats are to be provided, as part of the affordable homes, these will have the appearance of houses. All of the affordable homes will be built in the south west corner of the site some in two blocks of flats offering four 1-bed flats and four 2-bed with additional affordable housing in two 3-bed homes.

Charminster parish council says that putting all the affordable properties together goes against current guidelines