Objections fail to stop estate homes approval

Wool Parish Council had raised a number of objections to the scheme submitted by the Weld estate - owners of Lulworth Castle.

Approval for the outline plan includes an agreement that the Weld estate pays £657,000 contribution towards a proposed Wool bypass. Between a quarter and 35 per cent of the development will be affordable housing and £200,000 will go towards maintaining an area of open space within the development.

Nicky Johnson of Wool Parish Council told Purbeck District Council's planning committee that the development was unsuitable for a number of reasons including lack of employment, infrastructure and public transport.

She said: "Wool should not be made an easy or sole solution for the housing problems of the district and south east Dorset."

Cllr Malcolm Shakesby said: "I've still not had a satisfactory answer to the issue of the justification for this develop-ment."

Cllr John Hyde said: "I do feel strongly we need to sort out housing - we need housing at Wool as we need housing elsewhere in this district."

Development applicant James Weld told planners: "This appli-cation is not speculative, it has been submitted in response to the local plan. It has been made with careful thought to local needs with-in the requirements of that plan."

He told planners he hoped the homes would offer a chance for estate staff to live locally, adding that over the past decade employment had grown 200 per cent to 150 staff - 90 per cent full time.

Highways officer Ian Madgewick of Dorset County Council explain-ed that the financial contribution towards a bypass will help fund the Purbeck Transport Strategy if the bypass proves unfeasible.

The county archaeologist who had originally wanted a full survey carried out will now work with the developer and anything found will be recorded. If any remains of national importance are discovered they would need to be retained in situ and the scheme redesigned.

First published: August 30