As part of their campaign to stop the proposed development of over 4,000 houses to the North of Dorchester, STAND (Save the Area North of Dorchester), started a public petition in September 2018. The petition has now closed with well over 5,000 people signing it.
STAND have told KeeP 106 that they are going to present the petition to Dorset Council at their full council meeting on Thursday 15 July 2021. According to the Dorset Council constitution petitions with over 5,000 signatures should lead to a council debate on the issue. However, the group is concerned that any consideration of the well supported petition may not be debated openly, but will be taken as part of the comments submitted for the draft Local Plan Consultation which will not be discussed until April 2022.
Alistair Chisholm from STAND said, “This will be a great disappointment for all those who signed the petition believing it would lead to a transparent, open debate on this particular site. We will still be formally presenting the petition to them on 15 July and will hold a demonstration outside County Hall from 6pm onwards to express our dissatisfaction at the way the Council are dealing with this, and our opposition to the destruction of the local environment such a huge development would cause. So please join us on Thursday and make your voices heard”.
