Save The Area North of Dorchester

The proposed mass housing development north of Dorchester between Stinsford and Charminster is still part of Dorset Council’s proposed Local Plan.
STAND supporters and committee members gathered in Fordington with a great view of the beautiful downland that would be lost for ever if the development goes ahead. Founder of STAND, Kate Hebditch, Dorchester Mayor Alistair Chisholm, DTC Councillors Janet Hewitt and David Taylor joined STAND Chair Jane Ashdown and other committee members to celebrate the view while it lasts!

We are still looking for funding

Subject to funding we hope to:

– Make promotional videos to show what would be lost should the DOR 13 proposals be adopted/go ahead.

– Commission a professional study into the impact of DOR 13 proposals on the tourist economy.

– Challenge the consultant’s reports commissioned by the developers.

GO FUND US

We’re a group of local people campaigning against the proposal to build over 4,000 houses on countryside to the north of Dorchester in Dorset.

Size of the proposed site

The map shows the proposed site in red. The grey area is the existing town of Dorchester and the blue area shows the size the Poundbury development will be when it is finished.
The developers are the North Dorchester Consortium, which includes Persimmon Homes.

Dorchester Today
Dorchester Tomorrow
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At Coker’s Frome by H.J.Moule. Little has changed since this was painted in 1884, and the sharp cut-off between town and country has been here since Roman times.

This is a much-loved area of the countryside, largely unchanged since Thomas Hardy’s day. A building development of over 4,000 houses here would change the character of Dorchester deeply and irrevocably. It will have a considerable impact on local services and traffic, but provide no guarantee of affordable housing. It will devastate the countryside, the wildlife and could damage our tourist industry.

Find out more

Why we’re objecting

There are a number of grounds for objecting to this development, including:

  • Impact on Dorchester
  • Connection to Dorchester and road links
  • Impact on the environment
  • Impact on the heritage
  • Impact on our tourism

The appeal of Dorset to visitors and many residents is its countryside and coast, its smaller scale towns and villages, the importance of its farming and food production, arts and crafts and the opportunity for greener lifestyles. Dorchester is not one of those commuter-belt towns of the south-east; developments like this could severely damage the Dorset ‘brand’.

Read more here

What can I do?

The Dorset Council Local Plan, which contains the proposal to develop this site, has just been published and a Public Consultation on it runs until March 15th 2021. If you are opposed to this development it’s very important to tell Dorset Council what you think. You can do this in the Consultation document or you might prefer to write or email your views directly.

Sign our petition

Reject the inclusion in the Local Plan of the area north of Dorchester as a preferred option for major building development.

Sign petition

We need funds to raise awareness of this threat

Every single contribution, however small, is greatly appreciated. Donations of any size are welcome and you can rest assured that all the money will be used to raise people’s awareness of this important issue.

DONATE


make a stand during this consultation period before our landscape is lost forever. To do this please use the following links and submit your response by Monday 15 March 2021: