BUSINESS leaders have backed plans to build almost 700 homes on land north of Bearwood.

The outline scheme for the homes, a community hub and a care home on land north of Magna Road, known as Canford Park, is being recommended for approval in a report to BCP Council's planning committee.

This is despite more than 300 letters of objection lodged against the controversial proposals.

However, both the Dorset Chamber of Commerce and the Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) are also supporting the plans, which they say will create economic investment and job opportunities.

Ian Girling, chief executive of Dorset Chamber, said: "It is clear Canford Park will provide valuable housing stock, support the creation of new jobs, help new businesses start and provide significant economic benefits for the local area.

“Dorset Chamber strongly supports this proposal and developments like this are vital for future growth of our economy.”

The scheme for the 79-acre site includes the provision of 695 homes, 40 per cent of which would be ‘affordable’, and a new community hub with a care home and retail space. As part of the mitigation of the development, it also includes plans to double the size of the Canford Park Sang.

Lorna Carver, Dorset LEP director said: “Dorset LEP supports private investment which acts as an economic stimulus and will transpire to be a key element of the area’s economic development strategy to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Developer WH White Limited submitted its application in early 2019, following the allocation of the land north of Magna Road in Knighton by Poole council in the Poole Local Plan.

Its proposals cover 80 per cent of the allocated site which had been designated as green belt until its inclusion.

But more than 300 people have written in opposition to the scheme, raising concerns about the effect it would have on traffic in the area and its scale.