Plans revealed for 100 new homes for Beaminster
But how many will be affordable housing?
The details of a 100-home development at Beaminster have been submitted to Dorset Council planners.
The scheme, north of B3163 Broadwindsor Road, at the west end of the town, already has ‘in principal’ agreement, given in November 2019.
It is being put forward by Cavanna Homes with around 35 properties classed as ‘affordable’; 25 of these for rent and the remainder in shared ownership. The original outline application was in the name of the Bugler Trust.
Overall the development will have ten 1-bed homes; twenty five 2-bed; thirty seven 3-bed and twenty eight 4-bed in a mix of styles and layouts.
Access to the site, which is all within the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, will be from a new roundabout opposite the entrance to Buglers, agricultural equipment suppliers.
Details submitted to Dorset Council this week include informal green space and an attenuation pond to the east end of the site and a ‘village green’ further west. In all just under 0.6 hectare is proposed as public open space.
Beaminster Town Council has welcomed the idea of developing the site but raised concerns about some aspects including parking and the location of attenuation ponds. It has yet to submit a formal response but recently held an online meeting with the developers to discuss the application.
The Beaminster Society has welcomed the proposal but said it would like to see a higher proportion of affordable homes as well as some properties where people can work from home.
It has also said it would like to see a mixture of traditional and vernacular styles and for the housing to be eco-friendly. It has also welcomed proposals for a new belt of woodland to the north and west of the site.
Wessex Water says there will have to be a ‘robust’ strategy for dealing with surface water from the site, much of which is classed as an area of potential long-term flood risk.
The detailed application, which runs to dozens of documents, reference no’ P/RES/2021/01944, can be seen on the Dorset Council website with comments having to be submitted on the proposals by July 12th.