WELCOME 1 North Dorchester in context The North Dorchester North Dorchester at a glance CONTENTS Consortium welcomes you to 1 Three new neighbourhoods for the town, delivering approximately 3,500 family our first public exhibition. 1 Welcome homes with a focus on affordability and supporting shops and services, including a We are looking forward to setting out our initial 2 Introducing the North Dorchester medical centre; response to West Dorset District Council’s latest Consortium publication of their emerging Local Plan. The 2 A new northern Link Road connecting Council is developing a long-term strategy for 3 Dorchester and the Local Plan the A35 to the A37, bringing relief to the the County town, specifically to widen access to Review housing opportunities and to reduce significant southern bypass and the High Street; in-commuting and congestion. In support of 4-5 What could North Dorchester 3 The opening up of the water meadows as this objective the Council has earmarked our look like? land for a mixed-use urban extension. a major recreational facility and nature reserve for the enjoyment of the whole town; 6 New Transport Infrastructure The draft Plan is currently out for consultation. 4 New employment opportunities; To help inform the consultation process, 7 Landscape and Heritage: the Consortium wishes to summarise how it Frome Valley Park intends to respond to the Council’s draft Vision 5 Three tier education campus to expand education provision within Dorchester; for North Dorchester. 8 Environmental Considerations 6 Pedestrian and cycle links connecting the The Consortium would like to explain its initial 9 North Dorchester: Phase 1 ideas for North Dorchester and the full range Town Centre with the new park, proposed neighbourhoods and the countryside of infrastructure that will be delivered for the 10 Summary and Next Steps benefit of the whole town. beyond. INTRODUCING THE NORTH 2 DORCHESTER CONSORTIUM The North Dorchester The Consortium is working with local farming landowners. All Consortium comprises are united in their determination Grainger plc and Persimmon to ensure that the entire town should enjoy long term benefits Homes plc, who are working from the planned investment in to deliver a long-term infrastructure and facilities. solution to Dorchester’s future In 2016, the Consortium housing, employment and commissioned an experienced multi-disciplinary team to help infrastructure needs. Both deliver its vision for North these companies are working Dorchester and that work is collaboratively to promote a presented here for the first time. single proposal and vision for North Dorchester. Grainger plc's development at Aldershot Persimmon Homes plc’s Picket 20 development Grainger plc Persimmon Homes plc Grainger have been operating for over 100 years and initially Formed in 1972, the Persimmon Group has grown to become one of managed affordable, tenanted accommodation. Now, with the UK’s most successful and reputable house builders. The Company over 3,600 tenanted properties across the UK, the company has 24 regional operating offices around the UK, with the South has diversified to extend its brand of long term and stable Coast Office having a strong track record of delivering homes across investment in communities through direct development of Dorset and Hampshire. They develop a wide range of homes on both private and social rented developments alongside market green and brownfield land through their three brands, Persimmon housing. As a long-term investor in its own developments it Homes, Charles Church and Westbury Partnerships, and last year the is committed to acting as both a creator and custodian of Company delivered over 16,000 new homes across the UK. great places. Locally, Persimmon Homes have recent experience of delivering A recent example of their work is the Aldershot Urban homes in Blandford, Shaftesbury, Sherborne and Wimborne. They extension in Hampshire. Grainger plc oversaw the delivery are currently building out comparable large scale developments of 3,850 new homes and supporting infrastructure on in Andover (Picket 20) and Salisbury (Fugglestone Red). These behalf of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO). The schemes combined will eventually deliver in excess of 3,000 development includes community facilities, schools and a local new homes, plus education facilities, road improvements, retail centre as well as the restoration of the historic Cambridge facilities, health facilities and significant areas of Public Open Military Hospital Building. Space and sports pitches. DORCHESTER AND 3 THE LOCAL PLAN REVIEW West Dorset District Council’s that would “meet the long-term development needs at or in the vicinity North Dorchester: a mixed-use urban extension of linked neighbourhoods north of the Frome Valley current Plan was adopted of Dorchester by 2021”. The inspector in 2015 but is now being felt that the development options, which were largely within existing reviewed; with the ‘Preferred town boundaries, offered only a Options’ consultation ongoing short-term solution to meeting future needs and that other or better until 8th October 2018. alternatives to North Dorchester were ‘not obvious.’ This view has Although the Inspector responsible for been substantially supported examining the 2015 Plan approved it, through the Local Plan review with he did so on the condition it was swiftly North Dorchester being the most reviewed. This was partly to meet the need sustainable option. for an additional 4,520 new homes that The Council’s Preferred options plan: The North Dorchester site were not in the Plan; but also because the The current consultation marks the housing needs of the County town were not culmination of a 30 year process The North Dorchester Consortium is in principle being addressed. where North Dorchester has been aligned to the Council’s vision for the site. We frequently under consideration as a will be submitting comments to the Council in Crossways as a solution to Dorchester’s viable option to meeting the needs response to their consultation. This exhibition needs was considered unsustainable. of the County town as the Timeline will help inform that response. The Review was tasked with finding sites demonstrates. NORTH DORCHESTER TIMELINE “A scheme to meet housing needs on land to the north of Dorchester has been rejected by the Councils… July 1987 [because]… expansion of the town North Dorchester is in this direction is not favoured. mooted as an option for the June 2012 Despite this it is not obvious that expansion of Dorchester. WDDC consults other or better alternatives exist” The Council eventually on its Draft Local Inspector in to the Examination of selects Poundbury, which Plan. It proposes the 2015 West Dorset, Weymouth commenced in 1993. May 2010 The new coalition development of up and Portland Local Plan Government to 1,500 homes at announces the Crossways instead August 2015 abolition of Regional of development at February 2017 The Planning Inspector concludes the Spatial Strategies, Dorchester, although West Dorset District Council publishes Examination into the 2015 Local Plan. delegating these it concedes that Issues and Options for Consultation, He concludes the full housing need for matters to local further sites around identifying a range of possible sites the District is not met and Crossways authorities. All work Dorchester will be around Dorchester. The Consortium cannot meet the needs of the County on the RSS stops. required in later submit a comprehensive report setting stages of the Plan. town. The Plan is adopted only on out the technical and environmental the basis of a swift review to look at feasibility of North Dorchester in alternatives around Dorchester. response. November 2012 September 2018 WDDC revises its draft The North Plan and consults Dorchester on an additional March 2016 Consortium begins July 2018 1,000 homes south The Review of the the process of The Council east of Dorchester Local Plan to look consultation publishes its and only 700 homes at additional sites to on how the Preferred Options at Crossways. The meet Dorchester’s development can for growth around Council eventually need commences and be shaped to meet Dorchester, abandons south a call for possible sites the needs of the including a Vision east Dorchester as is issued. entire County town. an option due to for the development July 2008 September 2011 opposition. of North Dorchester. The revised Regional West Dorset and Spatial Strategy (RSS) Portland Councils for the South West is begin work on a published identifying new joint plan for 3,000 new dwellings at their areas. Dorchester. The Council commissions a study to consider possible sites, including North Dorchester. NORTH DORCHESTER WHAT COULD NORTH DORCHESTER LOOK LIKE? CONSORTIUM 4 USE FIGURED DIMENSIONS ONLY. DO NOT SCALE FROM THIS DRAWING EXCEPT FOR PLANNING PURPOSES. ALL DIMENSIONS MUST BE CHECKED ON SITE ANY INCONSISTENCIES MUST BE REPORTED BACK TO THE ARCHITECT. THIS DRAWING AND ANY DESIGNS INDICATED THEREON ARE THE COPYRIGHT OF BROOKS / MURRAY ARCHITECTS. ALL RIGHTS ARE RESERVED. NO PART OF THIS WORK MAY BE PRODUCED WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION The proposed Vision is for three connected, sustainable IN WRITING FROM BROOKS / MURRAY ARCHITECTS. PLANNING STAGE DRAWINGS SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR CONSTRUCTION. neighbourhoods totalling 3,500 homes supported by REV. AMENDMENT BY: DATE extensive social and community infrastructure and new transport infrastructure. North Dorchester will deliver a wide range of family homes in an attractive setting, whilst providing Dorchester as a whole with new infrastructure and facilities. This plan shows the Consortium’s initial thoughts on what North Dorchester could look like and what it could deliver. This is only a concept plan and is not a final masterplan; that will be arrived at only after careful consultation with the community. Some key highlights are summarised below: A new East-West Link Road around the north of the town will provide a direct route from the A35 to the B3147/A37, bypassing the Stinsford roundabout and easing pressure on the southern stretches of the bypass, as well as the High Street.