'CONCRETING over the greenbelt' is how some Purbeck residents have described a proposal for distributing more than 3,000 new homes needed across the district.

A draft planning consultation document has pinpointed nine 'preferred locations' which could support the area's identified 'housing need' up to 2033.

Wool and Lytchett Minster are earmarked for major development under the plan, which would see 41 hectares of green belt and some 24 hectares of Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty land lost.

The proposals are laid out in the 'draft preferred options consultation document', which has emerged from the ongoing Partial Review of the Purbeck Local Plan.

The 'preferred option' is for 1,000 homes at Wool, 650 at Lytchett Minster, 500 at Wareham town, another 205 at north Wareham, 350 at Moreton Station, 330 at Lytchett Matravers and 100 at Upton. In addition it suggests 40 homes at Langton Matravers and 20 at Harman's Cross.

It also allows for 233 hectares of new public open space - known as SANGs or Suitable Alternative Greenspaces, four schools, transport improvements and the outlines need for new retail, employment, and play areas.

Two alternative option are also on the table in the same document. The first omits 240 homes to the south of Lytchett Matravers in favour of increasing the allocation at Moreton Station from 350 homes to 600.

The other proposes no development at Moreton or Harman's Cross, and fewer homes at Langton Matravers, but 600 at Lytchett Matravers.

The document comes before Purbeck District Council in May when councillors will decide whether to go ahead with a public consultation - which is likely take place in June and July.

But some residents are already making their voices heard. A group has been set up in Lytchett Minster to oppose the plans, which they say would destroy their village and present a serious flood risk.

Robin SeQueria of Lytchett Minster Planning Watch (LYMPWatch) said they failed to recognise that 'natural assets' of the district were key to its economy.

"Concreting over vast swathes of the Purbeck is killing the goose that laid the golden egg," he said. "The notion that additional housing promotes the economy doesn't make sense. There is no case for that in Purbeck.

"We will basically have urban sprawl from Highcliffe to Bere Regis. We challenge the figures, we challenge the premise and we certainly challenge the locations."

The partial review of the Purbeck Local Plan sets out plans to accommodate 3,080 homes by 2033 - which is in addition to the 2,520 homes already identified by the Purbeck Local Plan as needed between 2006 and 2027.

Anna Lee, Planning Policy Manager, Purbeck District Council, said: "An independent Planning Inspector approved the Purbeck Local Plan in 2012 on condition that the council would review it to see whether more development was possible in the future and, with continued added pressure on the district to provide for future growth, we need to ensure the Plan remains up to date.

"In May we will be asking district councillors to agree a consultation on the Plan, which would commence on 9 June. Several areas in the district have been identified as potential housing development sites and the consultation would give everyone the opportunity to have their say on future development in the district.

"Without an approved up-to-date plan, the council would have potentially little control over where development would take place in the district."