Hundreds of campaigners have marched through Dorchester to protest against proposals to build 4,000 houses on open land north of the town. The demonstration, organised by the pressure group Stand, saw effigies of a property developer carried through the streets as demonstrators urged Dorset Council to rethink its draft local plan.
Protesters argue the development, planned for land between Charminster and Stinsford, would desecrate the countryside associated with author Thomas Hardy. Stand described the fields as the "green lungs" of Dorchester, and said the landscape holds huge historical, environmental and cultural significance for the county town.
Linda Poulsen, a member of Stand, said: "We feel that the suggestion that development should take place on a massive scale north of Dorchester is being bulldozed through against the democratic wishes of the local community." The proposals are also opposed by Dorchester Town Council, the Dorchester Civic Society and the Campaign to Protect Rural England.
Town crier and local historian Alistair Chisholm, who joined the march, said: "There is a great groundswell of objection. I'm sure we can come up with something which is a great deal more agreeable and which respects the quintessence of Dorset, which is a rural county."
Dorset Council has defended the plan. David Walsh, the council's member for planning, previously said: "We continue to work on the policies that underpin the plan. This includes research and gathering information to make sure the plan delivers what it needs to for Dorset's next generations. I am very proud of the work the team is doing. There will be a further chance to comment upon the plan before it is voted on by our full council."
