Countryside campaigners Dorset CPRE have warned that the county’s green fields are at threat from developers because, they claim, it’s one of the main local authorities that regularly put up green fields for development, as opposed to brownfield sites. According to Dorset CPRE around 56 per cent of the county is designated as Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – more than any other county in England. However, it warns that much of the housing proposed in the draft Dorset Local Plan will be built either in or very close to AONB land, changing forever the county’s unique landscape and rich biodiversity. Research carried out by CPRE reveals that housing that has been approved in AONBs nationally, since 2017/18, is overwhelmingly large executive homes, with only 16 per cent described as affordable housing. “Natural England and a number of neighbouring authorities are critical of the Dorset plan,” said Dorset CPRE. “For example, Natural England considers there is limited scope for major new development within the Dorset AONB above that already allocated’. With reference to development at Blandford Forum, they state that ‘The scale and location of the development will inevitably result in residual adverse impacts on the Cranborne Chase AONB.’ It also claims that in Dorset, ‘numerous developers’ submissions propose reducing the current protection of AONBs. Chairman of North Dorset CPRE, Rupert Hardy, said: “Dorset Council admits that the public interest test used to justify the release of AONB for major development is necessary to meet its excess housing target and Cllr David Walsh concedes it is ‘likely’ that protected areas will be affected by development. “This means that town and parish councils who believe themselves protected from development are enjoying a false sense of security.” Dorset CPRE claims that town and parish councils who responded to the draft Dorset Local Plan, represent 287,000 voters. Of these, 88 per cent do not agree with the plan, which proposes just over 4,500 homes in or within 250m of an AONB. The group is now calling for Dorset Council to acknowledge the ‘overwhelming public opposition to the Local Plan’ and to accept that its findings ‘put at risk the special areas of Dorset’s countryside’. Mr Hardy added: “Accordingly, we believe it is now timely to revisit the whole Plan, especially in the light of recent statements by Michael Gove, who clearly signalled a shift towards greater recognition of AONBs as meriting special consideration in future development plans.”

Dorset Council had not responded to the New Stour & Avon magazine’s requests for comment at the time of going to press.