A PUBLIC meeting on the proposed Canford Park development is scheduled for Poole Central Library today.

Plans for a large housing and business development on green belt land opposite Canford Park Arena were made available online to the public at the end of July.

Planning consultant Chapman Lily Planning Limited, which is running the drop-in sessions at selected venues throughout September, wants residents to have their say on their plans for the Poole site at Merley Road.

The planned development includes around 2,500 new homes - of which 40 per cent will be affordable or aimed at first time buyers - and a new 100,000 sqm business park, which developers say could create around 2,800 jobs.

If agreed, it would also include a local centre with shops, services and community projects, a new primary school and playing fields.

A new 89-hectare open space and parkland site, opening up public access to the River Stour, is also outlined in the proposals.

Brett Spiller, of Chapman Lily Planning, said: "This is an important scheme which will impact the whole borough, hence why we decided to host consultation events in all corners of Poole.

‘"We hope that residents from across the town will wish to learn more about what we are potentially planning for the future of Poole.

"We believe our scheme offers benefits in supporting the local authority’s housing targets without impacting existing height and mass issues in existing built up areas.

"Therefore we feel it will be of interest to anyone and not just those in the Canford Magna area, to attend."

Borough of Poole (BOP) recently closed its initial consultation on its planning blueprint, The Poole Local Plan Review, which contains more than 50 possible housing sites and will help shape development in the borough until 2033.

At this stage, no official planning application has been lodged with BOP regarding Canford Park, which - if given the green light further down the road - will be partly built on the former Canford Magna Golf Club, owned by Bill Riddle.

The Poole Local Plan Review forms part of the process of establishing preferred sites for future development, and Canford Park is one of the possible sites identified in the document.

Civic officials say BOP needs to build an additional 5,000 new homes by 2033, to meet the growing housing need.

Consultation session dates:

Poole Library, midday-5pm, September 15.

The Spire (Methodist Church), Poole High Street, 3-8pm, September 19.

Canford Cliffs Village Hall , 3-8pm, September 20.

Oakdale Community Partnership Centre, 3-8pm, September 22.

Community Room, Tesco Fleetsbridge, 1-5pm, September 27.

Canford Magna Centre, 3-8pm, September 29.