'No decisions yet' on housing needs for Dorset Local Plan after new report
It's thought as many as 39,000 homes could be built in Dorset over the next 17 years
Dorset Council says there are still no decisions made over the Local Plan, which could see more than 39,000 homes built over 17 years.
Campaign groups are calling on Dorset Council to drastically decrease that figure to around 22,000, or risk urbanising Dorset's rural scenery and damaging the environment.
Figures are determined by a government methodology - but a new report suggests BCP Council may not be required to build so many homes as previously thought.
That would ease the pressure on Dorset Council, which may have been required to take on any housing targets not met by its neighbour.
But Hilary Jordan, a planning manager for Dorset Council, told {{stationname}} nothing is set in stone yet. She said:
"We've not made any decisions yet, we will be taking into account all the comments people have made and the process is still ongoing.
"When all the evidence work is completed and all the consultations are taken into account, the next stage would be publishing a full draft plan and then there would be a further opportunity for people to comment on that, and then there would be the public examination with the inspector."
She added that if BCP Council's requirements fall, it will make protecting Dorset's environment easier:
"It is a really controversial issue, obviously we are trying to meet the economic needs of the area whilst protecting the environment at the same time, but that's a challenge and that is why people are particularly concerned about it.
"Both plans will have to go through public examinations, but if it looks like there's a credible case that BCP Council may not need to have such a high requirement, that could mean that it's a little easier to provide the needs of the total area within the environmental constraints.
"The work we've done so far is very much trying to focus development closer to the urban areas where there are more facilities and we're not trying to scatter development throughout the rural area.
"Obviously we've got things like the AONB designation, we've got lots of nature conservation constraints as well and we are trying to allocate development where it's east likely to harm those constraints."