MORE than a hundred homes have been approved for a site off the A30 Salisbury Road at Shaftesbury.

The properties are part of a wider scheme expected to eventually provide land for a new school, care home or hotel and industrial units.

Dorset councillors agreed the details of the properties proposed by Persimmon Homes ranging from one bed flats to four-bed family homes, with a target of 32 being affordable.

Northern area planning committee members heard that the development company had reduced the number of homes from the originally proposed 135 in response to concerns about layout and design.

The site will share an access onto the main road with another development, adjacent to the site for 55 homes, also to be built by Persimmon.

Cllr Sherry Jesperson welcomed the homes but said she would like to see the company avoid rendering which had become unsightly on other north Dorset sites. Other councillors asked for assurances that play areas and open spaces would be completed and ready for use before all the houses were completed – something which it was claimed had not happened on other developments in the area.

Land for a primary school will be made available to the south of the plot and industrial units and or hotel/care home to the east – which will require further consent once the house building is underway.

Agent for Persimmon, Ben Walker, said the company had worked with the council to ensure the mix of homes being provided would meets the need of the local area and had made several changes as a result of consultation.

Financial contributions from the development, secured by a legal agreement with the council, will boost local NHS and education budgets.

Cllr Jesperson said while she thought the layout was ‘banal’ there were no grounds not to support the scheme and proposed approval – which the committee backed with a unanimous vote.

Melbury Abbas and Cann parish council had objected to the proposal – claiming it would bring too many homes for the area which would stretch local facilities.

Said the parish statement to Dorset Council: “Where are all these people going to work? All will need to use their cars as public transport is near no- existent – so much for saving the planet… “With a minimum of 1048 new houses built in the last 20 years Shaftesbury has reached its limit.”