by Trevor Bevins, Local Democracy Reporter.
Ever-expanding Charminster could be set to grow again with a new application for 153 homes on farmland off Wanchard Lane.
The Bellway Homes application to Dorset Council comes after a prolonged period of growth on the Charminster Farm site which is now in its fourth phase.
The latest plans include parking for more than 420 cars on the 9.6 hectare site, the growth in additional traffic likely to be one of the objections.
Both market housing and social, affordable or intermediate rental homes are proposed for the site.
A breakdown shows 39 three-bed market homes; 27 four-bed, or bigger and 33 two-bed, a total of 99.
Among the ‘affordable’ homes are plans for 30 two-bed, 14 three-bed; 6 four-bed and 1 one-bed, a total of 54.
The Bellway site is north of the Dorset Council Highways depot with the Charminster Farm development by Wyatt Homes to the west with the expected fifth phase of that scheme likely to be to the south-east – a planning application for 74 homes currently under consideration.
A public consultation in April saw concerns expressed about additional traffic generated by the Bellway site, the risk of flooding, the effect on Drakes Lane which runs along one side of the site and whether the village has enough facilities to cope with the influx from the two remaining sites likely to be developed.
Bellway says it has addressed these concerns in amendments to its plans and has included what it describes as “green fingers” of open space on the site and a buffer of vegetation around the rural edges, with a central play area/green space at the heart of the development.
On road use Bellway say that the proposed access will be from Wanchard Lane where a new priority junction will be created with agreement already in place to increase the width Wanchard Lane by 3 metres to create a crossing point between the site and the existing footway opposite on the Charminster Farm development and leading into the open space and beyond it towards the A37.
Also planned is a raised platform junction at the Sheridan Rise/ Wanchard Lane junction and improvements to the A37/Weir View Junction with a new 30mph speed limit along Wanchard Lane.
The last large scheme for Charminster to be decided came in September 2025 – when an application, by Wyatt Homes, also for a site off Wanchard Lane, was approved after being reduced from 41 to 30 homes, more than a third of them ‘affordable.’
The reduction in housing numbers followed local concerns about overdevelopment and infrastructure capacity in the village.
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