238 new homes agreed for West Parley

A 6-4 vote has seen plans for a 238-home development at West Parley approved by Dorset Council – despite more than 60 objections, including from the two parish councils and a ward councillor.

Some residents and councillors were concerned about the scale of the Bellway Homes scheme for the site to the east of New Road.

Ward councillor Andrew Parry said that the village wanted to remain low-rise and low-density and not become part of neighbouring urban areas in what he described as an “identikit” proposal.

The application includes allotments, public open spaces and proposals for access off Christchurch Road and New Road.

West Parley and Hurn parish councils said they have concerns about the density of the scheme and 3-4 storey homes on parts of the site and believe that the proposed link road may not be adequate – although council highways officers told Wednesday’s area planning committee that the roads would meet expected standards.

Around sixty objectors had voiced concerns about the development.

What the development will include

Fifty six homes on the first phase will be affordable, the final percentage to be agreed when half the homes planned for the site have been occupied, with an expectation of at least 17 more affordable properties in the second phase, which could see the finished development with 386 homes as well as small shops, offices and a foodstore.

Church Lane resident Rob Elliot told councillors that he was worried about water and sewage from the site and said that Wessex Water now accepted that the local pumping station would not cope with the extra home and additional storage capacity would have to be built.

He said that this could involve building a reservoir near his home as well as the pumping of surface water from one side of the housing site to the other, it then flowing into a drain which, in turn went into a field off Church Lane. He called for additional studies to ensure that this would not the flood back into Church Lane.

An 'arms race between developers'

Ward councillor Andrew Parry told the meeting that much had been demanded put on West Parley to allow extra homes and argued against anything larger than two storeys on the site: “Even three storeys are a rare sight around the parish, four storeys would be unprecedented and unpalatable and detrimental to the character of the area,” he said.

He said that some residents had claimed allowing larger buildings could result in “an arms race between developers as each battles with the other to see who could build the next tallest building.”

The ward councillor said residents did not want to become part of an urban environment: “We don’t want to be a ‘city by the sea”, we are a village and which to remain in that respect…distinguishable from neighbouring conurbations.”

Cllr Parry, who described the plans as “identikit” rather than bespoke to the area, said many residents remained concerned about parking, the road layout, site drainage, green spaces and the number of allotments being offered.

Most of the homes proposed for the site will be two and three-bed with a total of 468 parking spaces, 332 of these allocated to a particular property, 110 unallocated and 33 visitor spaces and another eight alongside an open space area.

Planning officer say the proposal will make a ‘significant contribution’ towards meeting local housing needs.

“Having had regard to the representations of objection and support and the advice of the various consulted parties, it is considered that on balance the benefits of the scheme significantly outweigh the impacts,” concluded their report to councillors.