West Dorset: Joint Local Planning Issues; Exploratory Meeting; Well-Timed Christmas Messages!

Confusing reports, Joint Local Plan, and statements

NB Exploratory Meeting January 22, 2014

"Although open to the public, the meeting is not being held for objections or concerns about content in the plan to be raised but for the councils to address specific issues highlighted by the inspector, including housing targets. People cannot participate in discussion unless specifically invited to do so by the inspector".

Leader of West Dorset District Council Robert Gould said:

“It is extremely frustrating that completion of the joint local plan could be delayed by this intervention.

“We have followed the process properly in a professional manner with our partners at Weymouth & Portland Borough Council

“We have taken the views of local people into account following substantial public consultation and changed the plan accordingly to reflect these views where possible.

“The message we appear to be getting is that the plan is not ambitious enough in terms of housing development, but we have applied nationally recognised figures from the ONS while still respecting the views of local people where possible.”

Exploratory Meeting, 22 January 2014

Working Together, Duty To Cooperate


County Council Savings (Dorset Echo)

Typical, such messages distributed just before Christmas when everybody is too busy to take them all in.

On the timing of announcements (Bridport News on a Dorset County Council Meeting Date)