Council apologises for error

By Miranda Robertson

Dorset Council says it has apologised ‘fully’ for misleading readers of the West Dorset Magazine over plans for a ‘garden community’ of 4,000 houses for Dorchester. Planning portfolio holder Cllr

David Walsh told this magazine, via the authority’s communications team, that ‘Norchester’ – thousands of homes planned for north of the town – was part of an already adopted local plan. In fact it is one proposal within a future plan yet to be decided – one which has been delayed until at least 2024.

Cllr Walsh’s statement was sent to him, council leader Spencer Flower and the council’s executive director of place John Sellgren for approval. None of the three are said to have spotted the error, which was later blamed on an internal communications issue.

The council said: “Dorset Council apologises for this error and any subsequent confusion caused.”

But campaigner Alastair

Nisbet rejects this statement. He posed a question to full council about the matter, which was rejected on the basis it was ‘frivolous’ (see story below).

Mr Nisbet told The West Dorset Magazine: “I am certainly not frivolous about the largest development ever proposed for the Dorset Council area – they are the ones who need to take this seriously.

“It cannot be passed off as a simple mistake when a false statement is written and the three most senior people in planning then approve it.

“What we need is a full explanation of what happened.

“Who originated the statement and why Cllrs Walsh and Flower and Director of Place

John Sellgren approved it for publication. The rules are clear. They have shown clear bias in favour of this huge proposed development – that amounts to predetermination and they must play no further role in the Local Plan.”

After the plans were publicised two years ago, thousands of

Village gardens open to public

people expressed their concerns over Norchester, unhappy with hundreds of acres of water meadows and countryside north of the town being developed. STAND (Save the Area North of Dorchester, the CPRE and DDB (Dorset Deserves Better) are working together to challenge the proposals, but say they are frustrated by the lack of a report, or any formal response to their concerns, including a lack of supporting infrastructure and a potentially catastrophic effect on the water supply network. Furthermore, plans to create two garden villages in Kent have recently been judged ‘unsound’ by a government inspector, who has called for a new railway station and better links to the M20 and M2. Maidstone council's Local Plan Review, which includes developments at Lenham Heath and Lidsing, is the subject of a public inquiry. The planning inspector has called for evidence to show how the council will deal with water treatment and quality.

Campaigner says he’s been ‘gagged’

A local campaigner says he’s been gagged by Dorset Council after raising concerns about controversial plans to ‘dump’ 4,000 houses on the outskirts of Dorchester.

Alastair Nisbet says the authority has refused to allow him to question senior councillors at this month’s council meeting. He’s been told that his planned question is ‘frivolous’.

Mr Nisbet, who’s a member of STAND (Save the Area North of Dorchester) said: “County Hall is rattled. They don’t like members of the public asking questions about planning policy. Their only response is to ban me.”

Mr Nisbet’s dispute with the council relates to a statement published in a recent edition of the West Dorset Magazine In a lengthy article about the proposal, Councillor David Walsh said: “The North Dorchester Garden Community development is already part of the adopted West Dorset, Weymouth and Portland local plan and is part of the future of Dorset.”

Councillor Walsh, who oversees planning, later retracted the statement acknowledging that it was incorrect. The council blamed internal communications issues for the mistake.

Mr Nisbet and members of STAND allege that the erroneous statement was not a mistake. Their spokesperson said: “It was a clumsy attempt to make the public think that the debate about the North Dorchester proposal had been resolved and that the council was moving ahead with detailed plans.

“Councillor Walsh is seriously mistaken if he thinks we can be silenced.”

Green-fingered villagers will open their picturesque gardens to the public in support of good causes this summer.

This year’s Cerne Abbas Open Gardens event takes place on June 17 and 18 and will be supporting The Charles North Charity and Dorchester Food Bank. Tickets are £8, accompanied under 16s free. For more information visit cerneabbasopen gardens.org.uk

Patients boost

West Dorset MP Chris Loder has welcomed a £2.8million fund to improve patients’ postdischarge care and safety as well as the patient’s experience.

The county is also set to benefit from reduced waiting times and improved patient experience and emergency care funded from the government’s £200million Patient Discharge fund.

Pottery exhibition

A pottery exhibition curated by Bridport’s Andy Violet will be held at Newton Abbot Museum to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III. Andy says the Fired for Royalty exhibition, beginning in mid-June, will feature 120 commemorative pieces produced by potters in Torquay and South Devon. The exhibition will also feature Honiton Pottery and Crown Dorset Art Pottery, from Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in 1887 to the Silver Jubilee of 1977.