Masterplan for 1,700 homes in Dorset village is slammed

Dudsbury Homes hosted a public exhibition to display their “masterplan” for 1,700 new houses in Alderholt, as well as a new medical centre, new recreation ground and second pub.

The developers claim the plans, called Alderholt Meadows, will build a “community based on traditional values”, however concerns have been raised about the volume of traffic and homes proposed.

READ MORE: Dudsbury Homes reveals plans for 1,700 homes in Alderholt

Chris Walker, chair of the Action4Alderholt group, said the pamphlet sent to Alderholt residents was a “work of fiction”.

He told the Daily Echo: “Our main problem with the plans is the lack of access roads to and from Alderholt.

“The plan might well be very nice in its own right, but Alderholt is the wrong place to put it because the roads to and from it are so poor and can’t take the extra traffic that will be involved.

“Also, within a mile of Alderholt, the roads are part of Hampshire and not Dorset so the question will be if Hampshire are going to improve the roads to help Dorset and I can’t see that happening.

“I think what they’re doing is running an idea up the flagpole and seeing who salutes it, there’s so much other work that needs to be protected.

“There are people who think we need to extend the village and indeed we do to a certain extent. There are plans already approved for 192 houses and I think people think that’s probably enough for the foreseeable future.”

Sketch of what Alderholt Meadows could look like. Picture: Scott Worsfold Architects and Urban Designers

Edward Alexander moved to Alderholt two years ago to “enjoy village life”.

He said: “What’s being proposed is going to more than double the amount of houses and turn this place into Verwood.

“In a nutshell, it’s nice to have this proposed pie in the sky, utopian vision, but I don’t think it’s going to be delivered upon.

“You’re going to have an increase of footfall going into the New Forest which will cause erosion, you’ll have more people going to Cranborne Chase which will cause erosion and I don’t think the plans are going to mitigate that much.”

Nick Jones, an Alderholt village for more than 30 years, added: “If we wanted to live in Verwood, we would have lived in Verwood.

“The trouble with these schemes, it’s not right for the environment and it will turn it to a small town, and that’s not why people live here.

“The sheer size of it, that would be our objection. You’re going to double the size of the village and that’s totally unrealistic.”