‘Poor man’s Poundbury’ in Wimborne? (From Bournemouth Echo)

‘Poor man’s Poundbury’ in Wimborne?

7:00am Friday 6th November 2009

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A NEW Wimborne development should not replicate “a poor man’s Poundbury”.

Councillor Simon Tong’s comments came as East Dorset’s planning meeting looked at a brief, developed by agents for Cobham PLC for the Riverside site on Brook Road.

They want to use 4.7 hectares of land north of the River Stour and south of Leigh Park for flats and houses.

The brief illustrating one potential layout shows a 180 residential development moved further from the River Stour than before, the formation of crescents, restricted heights to buildings, and 40 per cent affordable housing “pepper-potted” about.

Tuesday’s planning committee was told the brief was prepared after an application for 268 homes was refused in March.

Members heard there have been discussions so when an application is eventually submitted, some of the design principles and objectives had already been looked at.

The meeting also heard that while the whole site was shown for residential development, the land could also be used for employment facilities, care home, leisure or community facilities.

Cllr Pat Hymers said she was frustrated she could give her view but then was forced by rules to leave the meeting.

She said any reduction in development numbers meant more landscaping and garden space but she was concerned about adding traffic to busy Brook Road.

“Anyone who has gone down to the tip and queued in the traffic will realise to have 150 or 160 houses at the bottom of that road as well will cause inevitable traffic jams and problems,” she said.

But she said one suggestion put to her, to make Brook Road three lanes, might not be possible.

Cllr Simon Tong said they had high expectations of what the site ought to provide.

Poundbury on the outskirts of Dorchester was designed by the Prince of Wales.

Head of planning and building control Mike Hirsh said traffic volumes were being assessed for access points on Brook Road and Hardy Crescent.

Councillors backed the brief and forwarded it to the policy and resources committee.

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