What is the Local Plan?
It sets out how the county, excluding Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, which have their own local plan (see here), is expected to "grow" through to 2043. That growth now risks outpacing Dorset’s roads, schools, local National Health Service, and other essential services. For towns like Weymouth and communities such as Littlemoor and Preston, this means major new housing areas, employment sites, and supporting infrastructure, much of it still uncertain.
Once approved, the plan will guide nearly every planning decision, turning what began as local choice into a centrally managed building programme that prioritises delivery targets over Dorset’s capacity, landscape and local character. In short, this is the rulebook for what can, and can’t, be built in Dorset. For many, it marks the point where the county’s future is no longer planned and controlled by its communities, but for them!
Documents Behind the Plan
The Local Plan isn’t just one document... it’s a library (see here). Dorset Council’s consultation pulls together dozens of reports, background papers and appendices to justify how and where development could take place until 2043.
The four main technical papers are:
Appendix A – A map of potential housing sites across Dorset, from town extensions to new greenfield allocations.
Appendix B – Opportunity Sites for Employment Land for business parks, industrial use, or expansion of existing employment areas.
Appendix C – Proposed sites to meet national accommodation requirements for travelling communities.
Appendix D – Areas identified for potential solar, wind and battery storage developments.
If you feel prepared now, why not take part? You can share your comment through the online consultation survey here or via email: planningpolicyconsult@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk
Dorset Council has also produced a short video guide here explaining how to submit your response.
Need a bit of guidance first? If you’re here, like I was at the start of my journey with the soon-to-be defunct Weymouth Neighbourhood Plan, you’re probably looking for help cutting through the noise, hundreds of pages of policies, maps, and technical papers.
Keep in mind, all comments should be framed around the National Planning Policy Framework, link here, which sets the rules for how local and neighbourhood plans are judged. Now, let’s get to what really matters: a clear, straightforward look at what’s being proposed locally.
Below you’ll find three tabs for Bincombe, Littlemoor & Preston, and more coming soon for rest of Weymouth and Dorset.