AN additional 93,000 homes could be built across Dorset, Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch (BCP) in the next 15 years. 

That’s the proposed target set for Dorset Council and BCP Council as the government looks to meet housing needs across the county. 

The government set an ambitious target in July of building 1.5 million more homes in the next five years, with Labour looking to “get Britain building again”. 

The new target would require the number of new homes to increase from the current 1,310 in 2023-24 to 3,230 annually – significantly higher than the Office for National Statistics’ projected household growth of 1,212 per year. 

The Dorset branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) is concerned with the new ambitious target – warning the plans will not bring down house prices nor address the shortfall of affordable housing and lack of social or low-rent housing in the county. 

The CPRE said if the new housing target is to be met, the build rate in Dorset would need at least to double and the county could see increased traffic congestion as well as increased problems with residents accessing NHS services.  

It warns the proposed targets could result in the “obliteration” of the small remaining BCP green belt.

Mike Allen of Dorset CPRE said: “We have newly elected MPs and a new council.  

“This is the first test of whether they really stand up for local people.” 

A spokesperson for Dorset CPRE stated that they hope to work alongside council officials and elected representatives in developing appropriate responses to the plans during the current consultation period which ends formally on September 24.

They go on to highlight that, apart from huge increases in BCP, all the towns and larger villages in Dorset could be earmarked for large new developments too, which they say would threaten Dorset’s environment.

Data from the CPRE

In its manifesto, Labour pledged to update the National Policy Planning Framework, restore mandatory housing targets, and deliver the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation. 

To achieve these, they’ll prioritise building on previously-developed brownfield land first but, where necessary, also release currently-protected green belt land of lower quality.