A PROSPOSAL to build 140 new homes at Crossways has been backed by councillors.

The development at Woodsford Fields was unanimously backed by West Dorset District Council members yesterday. A public inquiry was held last year into the scheme which will feature squares, a playing field, a mix of house designs and a new first school.

Work is now expected to start on the development next year. Planning officer Andrew Martin urged members of the council's eastern area development committee to back the scheme which, he said, was inspired by the Poundbury development.

Coun Stella Jones said she was concerned that the Betterment Properties development did not contain any affordable homes.

She said: "There is a good mix of social housing at Poundbury which is what makes that a community. We should push for affordable homes to be contained within this development."

But ward councillor Teresa Seall said local people felt Crossways already contained too many sites of social housing.

She said: "The perception among people locally is that the area has more affordable and social housing than is needed. People say we don't need any more."

Coun Stephen Friar said the issue of affordable housing should have been dealt with when the plan was first raised, saying: "I'm disappointed there will be no affordable or social housing in this scheme but unfortunately it appears there is not a lot we can do about it."

Crossways Parish Council has welcomed the scheme, saying it would help bring extra facilities to the village. But it has opposed another plan to build 750 homes at nearby Redbridge because they claim it would pile pressure on the roads and village.