Last week Cllr Spencer Flower released a statement saying he was in contact with Michael Gove Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities as he was concerned about anomalies in producing Local Plans.

Cllr Flower said they should be more about promoting sustainable development instead of chasing housing targets.

This has been welcomed by Dorset CPRE (Campaign to Protect Rural England).

Previously Dorset CPRE stated that the Dorset Local Plan is being developed too quickly and without an adequate evidence base. It deplored the lack of any meaningful engagement in the creation of a shared vision for the Dorset Local Plan.

Peter Bowyer, chairman of the trustees of Dorset CPRE said: “We now hope that following Cllr Spencer Flower’s statement that there will be positive dialogues with community organisations and residents in Dorset to arrive at a housing figure of closer to 22,000 up to 2038, adequate provision of affordable/social housing, and compatibility of the Dorset Local Plan with actions to address the Climate and Ecological Emergencies.

“We look forward to the outcome of communications between the Secretary of State and Dorset Council, and welcome the opportunity for an extension of the Local Plan period, as well as the potential development of a new approach to Local Plans that reflects the needs of the residents of Dorset.

“Any efforts to re-think the Dorset Local Plan will be supported by CPRE, but only if revisions reflect the real needs of the residents in Dorset and the exceptional environmental circumstances of the county. Dorset deserves better than what has been proposed to us to date.”