The Parish Council is holding a village meeting this Friday, 1st October at 7pm in the Village Hall to discuss the Purbeck Local Plan (PLP), Dorset Local Plan (DLP) and the current planning application submitted by Wyatt Homes for 95 additional homes along Wareham Road.
The objective of the meeting is to recap on the PLP, which underpins the current application from Wyatt Homes, with the objective of discussing options and formulating ideas around practical actions that we can consider.
The Parish Council has also formed a working group to review and progress any ideas and actions. All residents are welcome to join the working group. Please get in touch either at the meeting or by email.
Purbeck Local Plan (PLP) status
The Purbeck Local Plan (PLP) has been a long running saga. The number of new houses designated for Lytchett Matravers was first set out by DC Planning in 2017. The public examination and hearings took place in 2019. The Parish Council held several village meetings during this period and attended many of the public hearings in 2019. These hearings were also attended by some residents from the Glebe Road area and also by your local Dorset Councillors. The PLP was held up while they reviewed the question of the SANG in Morden Park. The PLP and notes on the most recent modifications can be read here: https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/planning-buildings-land/planning-policy/purbeck-local-plan and the specific considerations for Lytchett Matravers: https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/documents/35024/286429/Lytchett+Matravers+inset+map-reduced.pdf/0567b3af-c9f1-ec9b-a882-d04684dd5f6c
The PLP is only going through a legality and soundness check. There are not expected to be any changes except with respect to the Morden Park SANG. The general feedback is that DC Planning will continue to focus on the PLP since it is a foundation for Dorset Local Plan (DLP).
Dorset Local Plan (DLP) status
The DLP was out for consultation across February and March 2021, with the proposal to be adopted by winter 2023. The DLP again reiterated the target number of 150 homes for Lytchett Matravers as part of the emerging PLP.
At that time, the Parish Council erected banners around the village reminding residents to participate and also held public Zoom meetings to allow discussion and feedback. The Parish Council itself submitted a robust response strongly opposing the proposals, challenging the questionable assumptions around the numbers and the use of green belt land, which you can read here: https://lytchettmatraverspc.org/summary-of-parish-councils-local-plan-consultation-response/
Wyatt’s currently hold some of the land under discussion and conducted a consultation directly following the DLP consultation, delivering cards to each household. More details here: https://lytchettmatraverspc.org/proposed-new-homes-for-lytchett-matravers-wyatt-homes/
The Parish Council objected to their first application of 95 houses along Wareham Road, principally because it is still in a designated green belt area. Wyatt’s have also informed us that they will be submitting similar applications for the proposed 55 houses in the Blaneys Corner/Flowers Drove area.
What can we do?
We would like to hear your opinions, ideas and objections to the current and future planning proposals for Lytchett Matravers with the aim of formulating a range of options that we can take forward.
Lytchett Matravers is an easy housing development target for both Dorset and Poole, being on the boundary of each. With the progress of the PLP and DLP it is unlikely that we will manage to avoid being allocated any new house builds, but we want to ensure that what every is done within the village is centred around the community and its needs. It is important that matters of the environment, schooling, road safety, parking, broadband and internet access, medical services, employment, access to leisure activities, and much more need to be considered. These need to be formulated into both immediate actions and objections but also taken forward into the updated Neighbourhood Plan.
What is the Neighbourhood Plan? Neighbourhood plans enable communities to play a much stronger role in shaping the areas in which they live and work and forms part of the development plan, sitting alongside the local plan prepared by the local planning authority. Decisions on planning applications will be made using both the Local Plan and the neighbourhood plan, and any other material consideration.
Going forward, if you would like to join the Parish Council working group to review and progress any ideas and actions and help put together the updated “Neighbourhood Plan 2”, please get in touch either at the meeting or by email.