The agenda of the recent meeting of the NDDC Planning Policy Panel revealed the striking news that English Heritage have found serious flaws in the NDDC Local Plan regarding the Crown Meadows.

In particular: “...whilst support was given to the overall approach to the conservation of the historic environment, concerns were raised about the extent to which it had been taken into account in the preparation of the Local Plan and the identification of locations for growth, particularly at Blandford.”

Furthermore, in relation to Blandford: “English Heritage commented that the Local Plan appeared to be unsound because it was not based on adequate, up-to-date and relevant evidence about the historic environment.”

This criticism of the failure of NDDC planning officers to take the ‘historic environment’ into account is damning indeed, as is the statement that the Crown Meadows proposal was not based upon adequate evidence. English Heritage’s opinions have always been shared by the majority of local people, to whom they make reference in their report.

They cite: “...the 5,756 signature petition submitted by the Bryanston Park Preservation Group (BPPG) in 2012.”

Let it be added that Blandford Liberal Democrat district councillors voted against the Local Plan last September in a recorded vote, for reasons which included damage to the ‘historic environment’.

It is very difficult to see how NDDC can now proceed with this discredited part of their Local Plan when the full Council meets to debate it; indeed the Planning agenda goes on to admit that a full heritage assessment of the alternative St Mary’s Hill site has already been carried out by NDDC as ‘the next best option’, and they had concluded that: “...the development at St Mary’s Hill would be less harmful to the historic environment than development on the Crown Meadows site.” It would also not ‘...result in any harm to the...Conservation Area’.

It would seem likely that NDDC is preparing to move towards the St Mary’s Hill site. It is absolutely vital that this time, and on future occasions, it learns the lessons of the serious mistakes made over their likely Crown Meadows climbdown, and consults as widely as possible with local people – and takes the trouble to get it all its facts right before it rushes to any conclusions. It will be worth the effort, if it results in a housing development which both meets local needs, and does not harm the historical environment.

Hugo Mieville, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate, North Dorset