By Marilyn Barber

Action4Alderholt is urging people living in the village to have their say on the Dorset Council Local Plan, for which consultation ends on Monday 15 March.

There are three options for Alderholt.

The first is for 300 new homes which does not include the 192 for which planning permission has already been given. The group says this option includes little or no improvement to infrastructure or to access roads to and from the village.

Option 2 for ‘significant’ development (possibly up to 3,000 new homes) would involve cooperation from Hampshire County Council and New Forest District Council. The group says this would be unlikely happen due to the already planned expansion of Fordingbridge.

The third option is for no future major development in Alderholt.

A spokesman from the group said, “Dorset Council can obtain its overall target for the whole county without including anything in Alderholt.

“Wessex Water is concerned at the level of phosphates entering the River Avon through their sewage plant in Fordingbridge and is therefore favouring no major development sites in Alderholt.”

He added the group was strongly advising villagers to vote for Option 3 as the present 192 houses awaiting building were enough to accommodate any local demand over the period of the Dorset Plan.

Action4Alderholt is asking villagers to search the internet for Dorset Local Plan Consultation and also to email: clerk@alderholtparishcouncil.gov.uk