Background

Understanding the Consultation

The Dorset Council Local Plan Options Consultation is a crucial first step in shaping development across Dorset until 2043. It is not the final plan, but rather an opportunity for residents to provide feedback on potential sites for housing, employment, and travellers' sites, as well as high-level proposals for solar and wind energy generation.

• Timeline
  The final Local Plan will be published in August 2026 for public comment, followed by a public examination, with final adoption scheduled for late 2027.

• Proposed Sites
  The consultation identifies 296 potential sites across the county of Dorset, most of which were put forward by landowners in response to a "call for sites" by Dorset Council. A third or more of these sites will ultimately be discarded based on public feedback and further assessment.

• Planning Applications
  Any proposed sites that are eventually included in the final plan would still require separate planning applications, which would be subject to the usual scrutiny and approval process.