A CAMPAIGN group has hit back after a 760-home development at Vearse Farm was approved.

Earlier this month, Dorset Council granted the reserved matters planning application for the development, now referred to as Foundry Lea.

Advearse, which has campaigned against the plans for the past nine years, say the decision is 'a huge disappointment'. It says the homes will negatively impact an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and Bridport, 'a small market town with limited infrastructure to support the influx of more than 2,000 new residents.'

It has also criticised the council meeting itself, claiming the number of members of the public and organisations allowed to speak against the application was limited to six people, each having three minutes to speak.

A spokesman for Advearse said: "18 minutes for a 760 home application? Sadly, a councillor’s request there should be a Site Visit was then voted down.

"Dorset Council has justified this development on the basis that it is "appropriate" and in the authority's housing plan. Serious concerns that Advearse have being raising over the past nine years have been repeatedly dismissed or ignored by Dorset Council or its predecessor West Dorset District Council. The fact that the Vearse Farm development was included in the Local Plan was used as an excuse to force approval in 2017. Sadly only two councillors saw fit to object to the application and demand that more was done to at least make the application carbon neutral."

In 2019, Advearse challenged the plans via a judicial review.

"Although building on the AONB is only allowed in exceptional circumstance, the judge took the view that building housing in a county which has a large amount of AONB designated land was sufficient reason to dismiss our review," said the spokesman.

"Since 2019 our focus has been on campaigning for the best outcome for Bridport from this development. Alongside others we have been able to prompt the developers to improve the detailed plans submitted in December 2021. The amended plans submitted in June 2022 do not go far enough in addressing the serious concerns raised and requests by us and others for further changes were rejected by council officers."

Advearse say its concerns include:

1. Risk to pedestrians using narrow footpaths on busy roads walking from the development into the town centre given the large increase in traffic that Foundry Lea will bring

2. Current plans allow construction traffic for the building site to go ahead at the same time as the building of the Miles Cross roundabout on the A35. This will greatly increase the risk to road users.

3. Plans have ignored the council’s own climate emergency declaration and will allow more than 300 homes to be built with gas boilers. There is minimal provision for solar panels.

4. As yet there are no plans agreed with Wessex Water regarding the management of the sewerage and ground water run off which the site will create with increase in discharges of sewage into the sea whilst the prospect of flooding elsewhere in Bridport and West Bay is ever more likely.

5. At the approval meeting the planners could offer no guarantees from Western Power about whether it can provide for Bridport’s electricity needs once Foundry Lea is underway.

6. Lack of any plans at all for the employment land promised as part of the mixed use development.

Advearse will hold a meeting later this month to decide on next steps.

The spokesman added: "Advearse would like to thank the individuals who have supported our campaign and also Dorset CPRE who have been steadfast in their opposition."