LOCAL residents can have their say on a proposal to build around 1,000 new homes on the edge of Dorchester this afternoon.

West Dorset District Council is holding a drop-in session at its South Walks House offices in the county town from 1pm to 7pm as part of a consultation process for its local plan.

Plans to allocate land to the south east of Dorchester between the A352 Broadmayne road and the A35 Dorchester bypass were included after objections to the amount of housing earmarked for Crossways, Beaminster and Sherborne in the original draft local plan.

Leader of West Dorset District Council Robert Gould said: “We would urge local people to get involved and have their say on the local plan as it will help us to identify the most appropriate sites to support the future housing and development need of West Dorset.

“It is very important we gather the views of local people about how they want to see the future growth and development of their area.

“The consultation events will offer a perfect opportunity for the public to actively share their views and participate in discussions and we really would like to see people come along and take part.”