The Dorset Insider is a no-holds-barred column pulling back the curtain on local affairs with sharp insight, unfiltered honesty and the occasional raised eyebrow. Written by a seasoned parish councillor who prefers to remain anonymous (for obvious reasons), it cuts through the noise to expose the frustrations of grassroots politics, and say what others won’t. Rest assured, their identity is known – and trusted – by the editorial team. Expect opinion, candour and a healthy dose of exasperation …
The conference room was soon packed as Dorset’s parish and town councillors flocked into a recent meeting about the forthcoming changes to planning law. While old friends and colleagues were happy for the opportunity to catch up with each other, most councillors were there to assess the impact of the coming changes on their own patch – and how they would have to communicate that to local residents. Dealing with the occasional nimby is one thing, but almost all residents share genuine concerns about how new housing will affect their towns or villages – and particularly its infrastructure.
The Dorset Council representatives seemed to have had a talking to from the Deputy Prime Minister’s office. Planning rules are about to be streamlined to make it easy for homes to be built: just how easy that is would reveal itself later. Most Dorset residents understand the desperate need for truly affordable housing in the county. The average Dorset wage is £28,000 and the price of the average home is 12 times that sum. And it’s precisely because Dorset property is so expensive that more homes are required. The current housing target for Dorset is 1,793 units a year – which is about to rise to 3,219 annually. That means that over the next 17 years, Dorset should see an additional 54,725 houses being built. And if no effort is made to reach these targets, the big bad baggy-green-trouser-suited wolf from Westminster WILL intervene.
It’s clear that council staff and councillors are under huge pressure to deliver on this ambition. And hopefully it will mean plenty of choice for those looking for affordable homes.
Difficult conversations
While some of the more smug parish councillors sat listening, claiming they lived in an AONB so were not allowed to build anywhere (don’t be so sure, mate), others were more concerned about the necessary supporting infrastructure. We heard from a beleaguered councillor faced with 2,000 units on the edge of a small village. Another area had social housing built … and people from the West Midlands had been ‘shipped in’ to some of the homes. We heard real concerns about the non-existent public transport which maroons those living in rural villages unless they can drive.
On top of this, at least one new settlement of 10,000 people will be required in each county: where in Dorset will that land, I wonder?
With devolution and the super council seemingly inevitable, if one local authority of a group cannot meet its housing targets, then it must look to others to try to provide a solution. This means a lot of difficult conversations between neighbouring counties and conurbations. Dorset currently has its prescribed five-year housing supply – but only until October this year. The clock is ticking.
As an aside, I noted that among all the talk there was scarcely a mention of the Nature Emergency declared by Dorset Council last year.
When talk evolved to Neighbourhood Plans it became clear that even if a community has one, it would need to be reviewed.
We need a Plan
Some parishes without a plan wondered whether there was even any point, given the time it takes to go through the process. And does anyone take them into account anyway? Recent developments in the Blandford and Pimperne area have shown that neighbourhood plans mean nothing at all when a big development is on the way.
Neighbourhood planning is essential in order for communities have a strategy, but it’s a highly specialist job. Parish councillors are expected to lead the plan process, but it’s very time consuming. And as we try to encourage more diverse parish councils (we desperately need to move away from the stereotypical retired white middle class male), we hit the issue that many new councillors have jobs. While they bring a wealth of knowledge, their time to work on major projects is obviously limited.
And then there was more
However, the biggest surprise was yet to come. After a long day of “chats” with the council and various helpful council officers, I had one more meeting in the diary: a team of local developers wanted to engage with the parish council to discuss their plans. Knowing we already have three developments progressing in the village, I was hoping this latest one would be a slow burn – even if just to avoid the chaos on our narrow roads and to help us manage demand for housing from locals.
How wrong I was.
We sat stupefied as a well-developed plan was presented for 94 houses on prime agricultural land (in a village of just 1,300 people), almost as a fait accompli. The developers are already talking to the council planning teams, and swiftly marching ahead. Not a single member of the council was anticipating 94 more houses on top of what we have already had to absorb. Clearly there has been no discussion with the local GP surgery or the school, both of which are creaking at the seams. As a council, we now need to fight for the best deal we can for the parish in terms of infrastructure, which is fragile.
What might help is if local communities were properly represented. Parish councillors need a seat at the table from the start – not just a flyer, a website link, and a last-minute public “consultation”. Even a phone call or zoom meeting with the planners would help. At least then, with an increasing tide of new developments reshaping rural Dorset, we can prepare our communities and feel like we have a say. Instead, parish councils are sidelined in major developments, treated with far less respect or status than they should have.
It might also encourage new councillors to come forward for public service in a county where there were gaps of up to 25 per cent on newly-elected parish councils last year.
