APPLICATIONS to build more than 1,500 homes in Gillingham are set to be approved next week.

Members of North Dorset District Council’s planning committee are being recommended to grant outline planning permission for two parts of the Gillingham Southern Extension on Tuesday.

The backing of council officers is made despite the schemes failing to meet its target of 25 per cent of the homes being affordable.

The proposals would see the construction of 1,595 homes, a multi-purpose ‘local centre’, a primary school and floodlit sports pitches on land at Kingsmead Business Park.

Almost £10 million is expected to be in place by the end of next month to fund road improvements, to facilitate the development of the area.

The first application, submitted by Welbeck Strategic Land, is for 961 homes and a combined retail, community, health and leisure centre.

The second, for 634 houses, a primary school and sports pitches has been put forward by C G Fry and Son.

Both developments have been backed by Gillingham Town Council although 20 people have submitted objections to the proposals.

Despite neither scheme meeting the council’s 25 per cent target for affordable housing, planning officers have recommended that councillors grant permission when they consider the applications.

“When all the material planning issues are considered in the planning balance, your officer’s conclusion is that the benefits of the development warrant approval of the outline applications,” case officer Martin Pendlebury says in his report to the planning committee.

“This is despite the 10 per cent shortfall in the initial phases being policy-compliant in delivering affordable housing.”

Viability assessments carried out as part of the applications found that the schemes would only be able to provide between 10 and 18 per cent affordable homes.

However, Mr Pendlebury recommends that an agreement be put in place to review the viability as construction progresses.

The applications will be considered at Tuesday’s meeting of the council’s planning committee.

Should they be approved, details of the developments will need to be approved separately.