Dudsbury Homes: Appeal for 1,700 homes in Alderholt is thrown out

Developer Dudsbury Homes has been told by the Planning Inspectorate that there were "fundamental failings" with its appeal scheme, which sought to effectively double the size of Alderbury.

The Inspector said the additional movements on the "poor rural road network" generated by the development would have "seriously negative consequences for highway safety, congestion and inconvenience".

Another "critical factor" was the absence of a suitable link to the wider strategic road network.

"Whilst the provision of 1,700 homes represents a benefit of great importance; it does not override the fundamental failings of the scheme," noted the Inspector.

Read more: ​Appeal into rejected plans for 1,700 home in Alderholt opens

Dudsbury proposed village facilities and a bus service but the Inspector said the homes would still give rise to a "considerable increase" in external trips from the village.

The Inspector added: "The proposed employment area would help to internalise some employment trips, but the majority of residential trips to employment centres would be external, involving car travel over some distance.

"Alderholt is also a long way from higher order retail, social and community facilities, and from a railway station. The bus service, useful though it would be, would not be able to cater for most of these journeys.”

An artist's impression of Dudsbury Meadows. (Image: Scott Worsfold Associates)

The village frequently sees faster moving traffic on its winding roads, which also have poor visibility.

Dudsbury Homes used a 5.5 metre carriageway as a benchmark for the adequacy of the existing highway as well as a target for the widening proposal.

However, the Inspector said 6.8 metres should be used for roads where buses or heavy goods vehicles are likely to pass each other on a regular basis.

The plans have been rumbling on since last spring and were immediately met with opposition from villages who formed campaign group Action4Alderholt.

Chris Walker, who chaired the group, said: "You've probably heard the good news by now. The financial contributions from local people helped give us and the Parish Council confidence that you were behind us; thank you again for all your support. Even better news is that the reasons for refusal could not easily be overcome by any future application. 

"The Inspector agreed with our arguments that the local roads are not suitable for the volume of traffic that would be generated. Action4Alderholt really did make a difference.

"Our four weeks of intensive work in Wareham paid off. We introduced some of the key issues to the Inspector."