Against the plan for 4,000 houses north of Dorchester

It was inspiring to read your article (Top Tourism Tips) about the work of local photographers and the Dorchester Tourism Partnership in promoting features of the town that are loved by local residents and can provide recommendations for visitors.

It’s no surprise that the River Frome walk and the Iron Age fort, Poundbury Camp, were among the top picks.

However, the view from the top of Poundbury Camp in the photo accompanying the article is a stark reminder of what will soon be lost forever if Dorset Council’s local plan project is implemented.

In this plan, the beautiful landscapes north of Dorchester are to be transformed into a so-called garden community of 4,000 houses.

The view from Poundbury Camp will no longer feature the landscape in Mike Watson’s photo, but rather a main carriageway road through the water meadows between this development and the A35.

With a minimum of 5,000 additional vehicles associated with this housing development using this link road, the integrity of the Poundbury Camp setting will be damaged beyond repair.

And for those who like the river walk, there is more bad news.

Storm runoff from 4,000 homes will put the River Frome and ultimately Poole Harbor at risk of pollution.

Dorchester and Dorset deserve much better than the current proposed local plan to meet the housing needs of its residents and protect its heritage and environment for future generations.

We need to hear from Councilor Flower to find out if his call to central government for an alternative approach to developing a local plan for our predominantly rural county can go forward.

Jane Ashdown

Avenue of lime trees

Dorchester

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