A CAMPAIGN stretching back three-and-a-half years over a huge housing development on former Green Belt land is set to come to a head today.

The Save Land North of Merley action group has said it will not back down in its fight against plans for 550 homes and a 62-bed care home.

Richborough Estate’s outline application, which was submitted back in November 2018, is due to go before BCP Council’s planning committee at a Poole Civic Centre meeting this morning.

A council planning officer’s report has recommended approval of the scheme, however, concerned residents will be urging them to reject the proposal.

Frank Ahern, chair of Save Land North of Merley, said the group had sent its own report to committee members disputing many of the points made by the planning officer.

Mr Ahern said potential problems in the eyes of residents had been “smoothed out or ignored”.

Fears remain of the impact the new homes would have on the road traffic and heritage aspects of the site and surrounding area.

Bournemouth Echo: Illustrative aerial image of plans for land north MerleyIllustrative aerial image of plans for land north Merley

Save Land North of Merley held public meetings, a holding hands protest and, most recently, the red card event in November last year, in which more than 400 people gathered to show, in unison, the red card to developer Richborough.

“We are hoping the planning committee councillors will show the red card, too,” said Mr Ahern.

“If politicians – at all levels and of all hues – have learnt anything since the Covid crisis, it is that they need to have flexibility and a willingness to change their minds when necessary.

“We really would like councillors to have the courage to assess this application objectively and to reject it.”

Bournemouth Echo: One of the residents' meetings when concerns were raised about the schemeOne of the residents' meetings when concerns were raised about the scheme

Borough of Poole decided to amend the Green Belt boundary to allocate the site, which sits between Oakley Lane, the A31 and the River Stour, for housing development through the Poole Local Plan.

Richborough’s application has received more than 750 objections, including from Dorset CPRE and Wimborne Minster Town Council. Historic England had also expressed concerns but no objection was put forward by Natural England.

BCP Council’s housing department highlighted that 40 per cent of the properties in the scheme would be affordable.

If the outline application is approved by the committee, Richborough will have to table further reserved matters applications relating to specific aspects of the development.

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