There’s a lot of money to be made in property

Summer in West Dorset means sunshine and an influx of visitors. Tourism is vital for the economy of West Dorset but is a double-edged sword. Holiday lets and second homes reduce the housing stock available for residents, especially first-time buyers. Two huge new housing developments in Dorchester and Bridport both claim to be part of the solution to the problem. However, neither offer enough affordable housing, and both threaten to overwhelm already stretched local infrastructure and services.

In 2022 Persimmon, one of the property giants involved in the plans for 4,000 new homes north of Dorchester, made

By EDWARD MORELLO West Dorset LibDems

£1billion in profits. Barratt Homes, involved in the 750home Bridport development, made £642m. Such profits are hardly surprising when developers can make up to 30% profit margin on the new houses they build.

A 2021 report by Transparency International revealed £1 in every £5 donated to the Conservative Party between 2010 and 2020 came from companies and individuals with substantial interests in the housing market. Roughly £60m in donations. In the three-year period to 2020 Conservative ministers also held 669 meetings with property groups and lobbyists to discuss housing and planning. During their 13 years in Government the Conservatives have repeatedly acted to weaken community oversight of new developments, imposed central targets, overridden local planning concerns, and made it quicker and easier for developers to secure planning permission. The Government’s upcoming Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill will grant the Secretary of State even greater powers to override attempts to prevent unsuitable development.

If you believe the

Conservative Party will put local concerns before the interests of the property developers, then I’ve got a new build to sell you.

The Liberal Democrats understand the need for some limited new house building, but where they must be built, they must be affordable for local people, sympathetic to the local area, and come with the necessary infrastructure to avoid adding to already overstretched local services. We can also reduce the need for new builds by clamping down on the number of second homes in the area and unlocking vacant properties. Only the Liberal Democrats will act to protect West Dorset from overdevelopment.