RESIDENTS have been left "devastated" after approval was given for 650 new homes in Wimborne - despite seven councillors failing to turn up to vote at the meeting.

Just six elected representatives voted on proposals to build hundreds of properties over a stretch of farmland to the east and west of the Cranborne Road, Burts Hill.

Campaigners had warned that the development will be effectively "a new town of its own".

Five councillors of the 13 supposed to sit on the committee support the development, proposed by Bloor Homes.

One voted against the plans.

Councillor Janet Dover, who represented Colehill residents at the five-hour meeting on Tuesday, said: "It was quite amazing, to be honest.

"There were just five councillors there to vote on this huge issue which has been the subject of debate for some years now. In total there were seven apologies."

Cllr Dover said she is particularly concerned that residents have received little reassurance that Colehill's roads will not be used by HGV drivers as the site is built.

"It's essentially been implied that Colehill is going to be a rat run," she said.

"It's wildly unsuitable. Residents have been ignored. Developers and councillors have done little more than to pay lip service to their opinions. I'm devastated."

An East Dorset District Council spokesperson said the meeting was legal as the constitution says that decisions can be made at any meeting so long as it is quorate, which means that it has the necessary number of people present to vote.

"This meeting was quorate," he added.

As part of the plans, developers are to rebuild and extend Wimborne First School in a new location and create a community centre.

Campaigners say it is the first of several applications due to be submitted in the coming months that, if all are given the green light, will result in 2,000 new homes being built within the existing town boundary of Wimborne, almost doubling the housing stock and population.

The proposals fall under the core strategy, adopted by the district council, which is essentially a blueprint for preferred future development in East Dorset until 2028.

The document was presented to a government inspector in 2013 and adopted by the council in March 2014, and is partly based on the council's assessment that 50 per cent affordable housing was deliverable on the Cranborne Road site.

However, councillors have now accepted just 32 per cent affordable housing.

'I wish there could have been more' - chair speaks out

Committee chair Cllr Mike Dyer said: "The principle of the development of the site had already been established by following the recommendations of the inspector and which were adopted as the council’s core strategy in April last year.

“Members were naturally disappointed that affordable housing content of the development could not have been higher. However, the council employed their own viability consultant to assess the figures provided by the developer. They were able to get an increase to 32 per cent from the initial 27 per cent. This will provide 200 much-needed affordable homes, as well as contributions for a new school and highway improvements. This could have been lost had the development not come forward at all because it was not financially viable.”

Speaking about the absences at the council table, Cllr Dyer said: "I don't often get to learn of the reasons why people are not attending a meeting.

"One I know had a pre-paid golf holiday, and another councillor's daughter was due to have a baby."

He added: "I wish there could have been more [at the meeting].

Who was at the meeting... and who wasn't

Who was there:

Chairman Mike Dyer, vice-chair Toni Coombs, Barry Goringe, David Shortell, David Packer - the only councillor to vote against the proposal - and Steve Butler

And who wasn't:

Derek Burt, Spencer Flower, Cathy Lugg, Barbara Manuel, David Morgan, Boyd Mortimer and Julie Robinson