Dorchester Town Council approves legal fund to fight local plan

Councillors have raised concerns about a proposal to build 3,500 homes north of Dorchester

Councillors have approved plans to pay into a legal fund to fight a housing proposal.

Dorchester town councillors intend to set aside £3,500 for legal advice for a dispute over the Dorset Local Plan.

They have raised concerns about a proposal to build 3,500 homes north of Dorchester.

Councillors are hoping to engage specialist planning legal advice to protect certain parts of the local area.

Town mayor, Alistair Chisholm, said the battle over building on the land was important as the plans showed an intention to plough through railway lines near the Maumbury Rings Roman amphitheatre site.

He told the town council's planning and environment committee he feared if they did not do anything to fight the plans "it will be at our peril".

The meeting heard parish councils in Charminster and Stinsford would be updated on Dorchester Town Council's progress, as both parishes would be impacted by the housing plans too.

If approved, 3,500 homes would be built in an arch around Dorchester from the A37 junction with Charminster, to the Kingston Maurward roundabout at the other end.

A draft of the new Dorset Local Plan is due to be published in December, with a minimum period of six weeks for representations to be made.

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