Local Plans are a key component of the planning system. They shape how land use and places will change and develop in the future. This is why I have been, and continue to be, in a dialogue with the Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and his officials, offering a constructive, bold and ambitious alternative for the way we develop our new Local Plan – one that is right for Dorset.
In my dialogue with Michael Gove, I have been arguing that the current national planning framework is not providing councils with the means to promote sustainable development through their Local Plans but is instead about chasing housing targets.
I am seeking reform of this framework and proposing that Dorset could be a pilot for a new way of creating Local Plans, based on sustainability and local needs over the next 30 years, that also recognises the ambitions of our Climate and Ecological Emergency Strategy.
We must have a Local Plan in place: without one we face the risk of unmanaged development in Dorset, but it has to be the right plan. Our hard-working and innovative planning officers have ensured the draft Local Plan is the best it can be, but it is constrained by current planning legislation.
As a result, of the unprecedented 9,000 responses our public consultation received, many residents share my view that the draft Local Plan chases housing numbers rather than prioritises local needs.
I also believe it is better to have fewer bigger-scale new developments in Dorset which bring in the necessary funding and infrastructure, rather than lots of small developments which put further pressure on already-stretched community resources.
I’ve asked Mr. Gove to consider several radical alternatives:
- allow Dorset to pilot a radically different approach to Local Plan making
- break the link between the housing land supply numbers and the Duty to Cooperate – i.e. the requirement for Dorset Council to accept unmet housing need from neighbouring councils
- allow Dorset an extension of two years until April 2026 to give more time for the new Dorset Local Plan to be developed and approved. During this extended period of plan preparation, Dorset should be protected against speculative housing development by suspending the five-year land supply requirement or by other means necessary
- fully recognise the climate and ecological emergency in the planning system, including new building regulations.
We recognise that this is national policy and may require changes to primary legislation, which is not in our gift locally.
Representing you is a privilege that I take extremely seriously, and my approach to the Government recognises both my and Dorset Council’s commitment to the needs and aspirations of the residents of Dorset. I am a strong advocate for Dorset and remain committed to lobbying for a better deal for the communities of Dorset.
I am extremely heartened by Councillor Flowers’ article which is pointing in the right direction.
At last someone with common sense, intelligence and vision to see the flaws in the present situation and who is also prepared to do something about them.
Well done Cllr Spencer Flower.
We hope this extends to the Purbeck Local Plan, with its proposed development on Green Belt and disregard for sustainability, which hangs like “the sword of Damocles” over many Dorset residents.
Cllr Flowers wishes to promote ‘sustainable development’ and a plan ‘based on sustainability’. Presumably he is therefore opposed to the current draft local plan which starts of by defining those existing settlements which are considered to be too small to be sustainable and therefore no development should take place. No attempt has been made to consider how such ‘unsustainable’ settlements could be made more sustainable either individually or by linking them together by improved pedestrian/cycle routes and public transport. The draft plan states what is now unsustainable must remain unsustainable in the future. Cllr Flowers is presumably also opposed to the development proposed north of Dorchester. This proposal dependent on the building of a northern by-pass through the middle of this new sustainable settlement will require, mitigation works to ensure, “…nearby residents do not suffer unduly from the noise from the road and from poor air quality.”(para23.6.32 p162 vol2 draft local plan). If that is the best that can be said for ‘sustainable’ development I shudder to think what unsustainable development would look like.
Cllr Flower appears to have made his mind up about large scale development in the countryside.
He says: “I believe it is better to have fewer bigger-scale new developments in Dorset which bring in the necessary funding and infrastructure, rather than lots of small developments which put further pressure on already-stretched community resources.”
As Cllr Flower knows from his experience as a housing association trustee, developments need to be where local people need them – close to jobs, amenities and services, in towns or villages which need the population to sustain those services.
Small communities work when they are able to grow and evolve organically. Affordable new homes in villages create local jobs and local homes, helping to keep the community alive.
Greenfield sites away from town centres tends to favour people from outside Dorset rather than the local population, and demand heavy investment in new basic infrastructure.
Huge developments like the North Dorchester new town proposed in the local plan, would place heavy pressure upon the infrastructure and services of the County, in terms of roads and other transport infrastructure, water supply, sewerage, electricity, telecommunications, health and social services and other services.
Much of this infrastructure is already overloaded: for example, limits on sewage capacity are forcing discharges of untreated sewage into our rivers and coastal waters. Development on the scale proposed, would do further damage to the county.
Does Cllr Flower really think Dorchester would be better for having a town of 10,000 more people on its doorstep putting huge additional pressure on services and the environment?
Very encouraging to see that some of the elements of people’s comments are being taken seriuosly, well done Cllr Flowers, I sincerely hope your efforts bear fruit.
What an unbelievable load of rubbish. Clearly a statement from a councillor, once again, looking for re-election next time around. Not a word of apology for the devastating damage done to the Wimborne area through excessive granting of planning without thorough consideration being given to the infrastructure. Yes the council have had to satisfy government dictates but for this man no NOW be claiming his vested interest in the protection of the county is both laughable and at the same time a worry for the future of Dorset. Please, can we not get a leader with more backbone to genuinely work for the people of Dorset.
I’m pleased to see the proposal to recognise that there is a Climate and Ecological Emergency Strategy and hopefully this will lead to a Local Plan that prioritises this.
So relieved to read at last of this linking of the the developments outlined in the Dorset Plan with the climate and ecological emergency. Up to now they seem to have been presented as two completely separate and unconnected departments. There is hope for the Stour Valley Park as Landstory’s inspirational team will be proposing after wide consultation.
I am an employee of Redlands Community Sports Hub, a sports user and also a very angry resident writing to express my concerns about the possible closure of Redlands Community Sports Hub, Dorchester Road, Weymouth. I cannot understand how or why Dorset Council (DC) feel it is a good thing to close our one and only Recreational Centre.
I have been using the Redlands sports facility for over 40 years for various activities but mainly for playing badminton. I am an avid badminton player and Redlands has been my ‘home’ venue for playing socially and at league/County level. Redlands boasts 10 badminton courts which are all in good order and functional and these have been used for many league matches and adult/junior tournaments. Weymouth Network and Weysports are two of the teams within the West Dorset Badminton League and they use Redlands as their ‘home’ venue hosting competitive matches and tournaments. This local league covers a 30 mile radius of which there are at least 20 teams actively playing and all these teams have played at Redlands. Aside from competitive play there are many other regular clubs and social users of the halls of all ages and most evenings all courts are booked.
I am also a badminton coach coaching adults and children. I host children’s classes on a Friday afternoon and run a youth club on a Tuesday evening. There is also a Taekwondo coach and a Gymnastics coach in the same position as myself and both fearing the same outcome.
Children need to socialise and exercise. The Government are always telling us to ‘get your children into sport’ to avoid laziness and obesity. The children can’t go to any of our many gyms as they are too young so they need halls like Redlands to learn indoor sports and receive daily exercise.
Weymouth College, who have now declared that they can no longer sustain Redlands, have stated that all the activities which are carried out at Redlands will be re-located to Weymouth College Sports Centre. The College’s Sports Centre has, in my view, very limited space and may not be able to accommodate all the activities so I do fear for the people who will be left with nowhere to go.
My family, friends and relatives use the sports centre on a regular basis for various physical and social activities and we regard this as a social and well-being gathering. Closing the sports centre would certainly affect the physical and mental well-being of my family and also families like my own.
Admittedly Covid had an effect on Redlands and this facility was closed for a fair while but now the Covid regulations has lifted, people are coming back to exercise and socialise again. I witnessed this one evening and it was great to see all courts in play in Sports Hall 1, Club-fit working out in Sports Hall 2, Squash on both courts and Spinning in the fitness suites. Redlands was ‘alive and kicking’!
Weymouth is a forever growing town, we are nearing a population of 65,000 people. Housing developments are on-going in many areas in and around Weymouth which, in turn, would necessitate the need for a recreational area such as Redlands.
Redlands has been the heart of Weymouth for many, many years, it is a very busy, active sports centre hosting many indoor and outdoor sports. It is very popular and important to the people of Weymouth and surrounding areas.
This year is the 10th anniversary of the 2012 Olympics and, as you know, is a large, worldwide sporting event and Weymouth had the honour of hosting the sailing events. Our town, at the time, became a ‘place on the map’ and now it seems unfair that I (and many others) find ourselves fighting to keep our only sports centre open.
I fear that if Dorset Council close Redlands we will lose many indoor sports, competition, youngsters and social gatherings will just fade away.
You state “representing you is a privilege that I take extremely seriously, and my approach to the Government recognises both my and Dorset Council’s commitment to the needs and aspirations of the residents of Dorset. I am a strong advocate for Dorset and remain committed to lobbying for a better deal for the communities of Dorset.”
Your help with my quest to keep Redlands open Mr Flower would be very much appreciated.
Regards,
Elize
I would really like to see more in the way of social housing going up as it must be impossible for the majority of local people to even get a toe on the housing ladder after selling off the majority of social housing without replacing as this is really seriously needed. Any chance of this being proposed.
May I ask Cllr Flower what sort of place is the Dorset Council Area? Is it urban or rural?
My answer to this question is rural because;
1) the council was formed with the merger of district council, off course except Weymouth & Portland Borough Council. As Cllr Flower knows district councils cover market towns & villages
2)if Cllr Flower looks at DEFRA report, the Dorset Council Area is considered rural, comprising market towns & villages.
I wonder if he agrees that the DC area is rural. If so, are there any policies related to rural areas in the draft plan. My answer is no. If he disagrees then please correct me refering to the sections in the draft plan.
I wonder if Cllr Flower envisages what the Dorset Council Area is for or what his vision is for the area considering that it is a rural area. Does the draft local plan’s vision reflect the rurality of the area? My answer is NO. If Cllr Flower disagrees with me could he refer to the draft local plan vision to change my mind
DRAFT LOCAL PLAN HAS NOT ANY RELEVANT VISION FOR THE AREA THAT IS RURAL. ITS VISION CAN BE FOUND ANYWHERE, GENERIC
THERE IS NOT ANY POLICY RELATED TO RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE DRAFT PLAN. IS THE PLAN FOR RURAL DORSET OR ????
THE MAPS PROVIDED IN THE DRAFT PLAN DO NOT MAKE ANY SENSE WITH THEIR GRAPHIC FORMS. OS MAPS SHOULD HAVE BEEN USED SO THAT RESIDENTS COULD EASILY HAVE LOCATED THE PLACES THEY WERE INTERESTED IN.
NO VISION REPRESENTATION ABOUT HOW THE TOWNS AND VILLAGES CONNECTED ie TRANSPORTATION NETWORK..
WHERE ARE THE ALLOCATIONS FOR RECREATION AREAS, OPEN GREEN SPACES_ GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, PARKS, etc ALLOCATING HOUSING ONE THING PROVIDING AMENITIES ANOTHER
WHERE ARE CYCLE WAYS, FOOT PATHS NETWORK PROVISION IN ORDER TP ENCOURAGE WALKINNG & CYCLING – ACTIVE TRAVEL
THE DRAFT PLAN ONLY ALLOCATES LAND FOR LARGE SCALE DEVELOPMENTS. THESE ARE ALLOCATED WITHOUT ANY REQUIRED RESEARCH CARRIED OUT..
WILL Cllr FLOWER AGREE WITH ME THAT HIS STAFF SHOULD START FROM STRACTH AND THINK WHIC AREA THEY ARE PLANNING